


Retrouvailles

by persephoneggsy



Series: Retrouvailles [1]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Childhood Friends, Eventual Smut, Friends to Lovers, M/M, Mila Georgi and Yurio are Victor's siblings, Mutual Pining, Omega!Yuuri, Smut in the last chapter ;D, Yuuri knows what he wants and its u, a lot of Jealous!Victor, alpha!Victor, and Yakov and Lilia are their parents, basically Yuuri grew up to be hot and Victor can't handle it, confident!yuuri, too bad Victor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-01
Updated: 2017-01-28
Packaged: 2018-09-13 20:45:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 31,928
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9141526
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/persephoneggsy/pseuds/persephoneggsy
Summary: retrouvailles: the feeling one gets after reuniting after a long timeAfter he presents as an Omega, Yuuri Katsuki is sent to study abroad for ten long years. When he returns, he's far, far different from the adorable little boy that used to follow Victor around like a puppy.Victor is shook.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Can you guys believe I've never written an A/B/O fic before, despite loving them with every fiber of my being? 
> 
> Anyway, my first fic for Yuri on Ice! This anime fucked me up, man. I can't believe Kubo-sensei single-handedly saved 2016 from the dumpster fire it was devolving into.

* * *

 

 

_Yuuri would never forget the day he presented._

_He was eight, already a year older than the usual age of presentation, and he’d been anxious. His parents were both Betas, but his sister had unexpectedly presented as an Alpha many years prior. It made Yuuri wonder – would he be unexpected, too? Or would he be the normal one and present as a Beta?_

_As it turned out, he was the former, like his sister. With one minor difference: he was an Omega._

_His family seemed alright with it, and his mother had even cooed that it explained Yuuri’s ‘loveliness’, but Yuuri was terrified. Being an Omega meant completely different things from Alphas and Betas. He’d be expected to find a suitable mate, a good Beta or – preferably – an Alpha. Then he’d have to bear his mate’s children, raise them, be a perfect example of elegance and refinement for the entire rest of his life… and that scared Yuuri. So he did what he always did when he was scared._

_He ran to Victor._

_The silver-haired boy, eight years older than Yuuri at sixteen, was right where Yuuri expected him to be – the skating rink right next to their home. He’d been gliding lazily across the ice, and Yuuri had momentarily paused to marvel at him. His moves were careless but graceful, and he seemed so at peace that the younger boy felt unsure about approaching him._

_The spell was broken when Victor noticed him watching, and with a large grin, he’d skated over. That was when he noticed Yuuri’s red, puffy eyes, the dried tear tracks on his cheeks, and the way his pudgy fingers were gripping the dividers a little too tightly. He’d asked what was wrong._

_Yuuri told him everything._

_“I can’t be an Omega,” he’d sobbed, clinging to Victor, after the older boy had abandoned the rink in favor of holding Yuuri close. “I’m not – I’m not what anyone wants! No one will want to marry me, or have kids with me, or, or –!”_

_“Yuuri,” Victor had said, in his achingly soothing voice, “that’s not true. Anyone would be lucky to have you as a mate.”_

_“But I – I can’t do anything, Victor!”_

_“Now that’s definitely not true,” tutted Victor. He placed a hand under Yuuri’s chin, urging the younger boy to look up. Yuuri found himself staring into Victor’s pale blue gaze. The color was reminiscent of the ice, yet warm with the affection that Victor freely doled out to anyone, but most especially Yuuri. “For one thing, you’re one of the most superb dancers I know.”_

_Yuuri flushed red, ducking his head down to try and hide his face from Victor. The older boy had only laughed, looping an arm around Yuuri’s shoulders and pulling him even closer._

_“It’ll be okay, Yuuri,” he murmured. “You’ll see.”_

_“But what if it isn’t,” Yuuri whined in response, unable to shake the foreboding feeling that had overtaken him ever since he’d presented. “What if nobody wants me?”_

_“Well, that’s just an absurd scenario that will never happen, ever,” replied Victor. “But, if it makes you feel better… I’ll marry you.”_

_Yuuri froze. “W-What?”_

_“I’ll marry you,” he repeated, smiling as if he wasn’t offering to spend the rest of his life with Yuuri. Annoying little Yuuri Katsuki, who trailed after Victor like a dog to its master, who couldn’t do anything other than a few fancy dance moves._

_“When you’re old enough,” he continued, “I’ll be your Alpha.”_

_“Y-You…” Yuuri inched ever so slightly closer, not meeting Victor’s eyes. “You wouldn’t mind… having me, as your Omega?”_

_“Like I said, anyone would be lucky to have you, Yuuri.” Victor winked, causing another blush to erupt on Yuuri’s face. “Especially me. I bet you’ll be so overwhelmed with suitors you’ll barely have any time to think of your poor, old Vitya!” He sighed, placing the hand that wasn’t gripping Yuuri’s shoulder over his heart, as if he’d been wounded._

_“T-That’s not true!” Yuuri exclaimed. “Vitya will always be my favorite! You’ll be my Alpha!”_

_As soon as the words left his mouth, Yuuri felt a flush of shame wash over him, but Victor had only grinned and pulled him in for another hug._

_“Then it’s settled. I’m yours, and you’re mine. Okay,_ zvezda moya _?”_

_Yuuri hid his face in Victor’s stomach, quietly breathing in his scent as his mind tried to process what just happened._

_“O-Okay…”_

 

* * *

 

It had been ten – nearly eleven – years ago now, but Yuuri could recall every detail of that day, without fail.

“Yuuri?”

He glanced away from the window to see Minako sliding into the seat across him. The train compartment was big enough for four people, though currently it was just the two of them that occupied it. The scenery sped by in the window, the grassy and green forest of the previous town slowly giving way to the snowy and metropolitan city that Yuuri called his hometown.

“Are you excited?” Minako asked, tilting her head with an amused smile. “Coming home, after all those years away…”

“Of course I am,” he answered, laughing. “I can’t wait to see everyone. Though I’m not sure they’ll recognize me!”

“Well, that means I’ve done my job,” said Minako. She reached over and gently grabbed one of his hands, holding it with both of her own. “All the Alphas in town will be falling at your feet!”

He blushed at her words, though they were not uncommon to hear, and after ten years of knowing her it shouldn’t have surprised him.

Her expression softened, and she smiled fondly at Yuuri. “You’ve grown into such a beautiful young man, Yuuri.”

“Thanks to you,” he said, returning her grip with a bright smile of his own.

She pulled back and her smile quickly turned into a mischievous grin. “I daresay you’re even good enough for the most eligible Alpha in the city!”

Yuuri smirked just as playfully. “Oh? Do you really think so?”

“I know so!” she nodded. “The poor man won’t believe his eyes when he sees you.”

“Just wait until he sees me dance,” laughed Yuuri.

Minako gasped dramatically. “He’ll be a goner for sure!”

They continued to chat, the conversation between them light and easy, until the train began to pull into the city station. Minako went to collect their luggage, leaving Yuuri to gaze out the window at the snow-covered platform.

Oddly enough, he wasn’t nervous. Just anxious to hurry along, go to his childhood home, reunite with his family, friends… and _him._

“I’m coming, Vitya,” he whispered. “Just a little longer…”

 

* * *

 


	2. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor comes home to some surprising news.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, first things first: the reunion is next chapter. This is just a short little update to let you see how Victor's been since Yuuri's departure. Also, I wanted to introduce the Russian Team as his family bc I love all of them.
> 
> And in case it ever comes up, this verse isn't strictly set in modern times. I based a big part of this story off the film Sabrina, which takes place in the 1950s, so that's the kind of era I had in mind when I was writing it. Obviously it's still an AU, and I don't think it'll be a huge part of the story, but just letting you all know.

* * *

 

 

Victor stepped into the heat of his home with a blissful sigh. The last vestiges of the outside cold still clung to his body, but while he normally didn’t mind the frigid weather, there was nothing quite like the calming and warm atmosphere of his family’s estate.

“VICTOR! Where the hell have you been?!”

Well. It was warm, anyway.

Victor turned his head to see his youngest brother, Yuri, stomping determinedly towards him, a box of decorations in his arms.

“Yurio,” he greeted. “Papa had some errands for me to run. I’ve been up since six in the morning, you should be a little nicer to me.”

“You wish,” snorted Yuri. “But you’re home now, so fucking help us.”

“Help with what?” asked Victor, confused. “And who’s ‘us’?”

Before Yuri could reply, another voice entered the foyer, this time a female’s.

“Ah, Vitya, there you are!”

A petite redhead streamed into the room, followed closely by a tall man with black hair – they were Victor’s other younger siblings, Mila and Georgi. Georgi was carrying a box similar to Yuri’s, and Mila was holding a bundle of something – a cloth? It made Victor frown, puzzled.

“I just got back,” he said, warily. “What’s all this? Are we having a party?”

Mila and Georgi froze, and they, along with Yuri, gave Victor a baffled look.

“Wh- Vitya, don’t you know what today is?” asked Georgi incredulously.

Victor tilted his head. “It’s not any of our birthdays, is it?” He was fairly certain that wasn’t the case, but he’d always been terrible with remembering dates.

“ _ Christ,”  _ breathed Yuri. “I knew you were forgetful, but I didn’t think you’d forget  _ this.” _

Now Victor was getting annoyed. “What?”

“Victor,” Mila stepped closer to her brother. “Yuuri is coming home today.”

Victor blinked. He opened his mouth, about to point out that Yuri was right there, in the room with them, when it suddenly clicked in his head what his sister meant.

Yuuri.

“Yuuri Katsuki?” he asked, suddenly ecstatic. “My  _ zvyozdochka _ ?  _ That  _ Yuuri?”

“If by ‘that Yuuri’, you mean the one who used to follow you everywhere, then yes,” said Georgi. “Did you honestly forget? Hiroko and Toshiya have been going on about it all month.”

“I…” Victor looked down at his feet. “I’ve been busy.” Which was technically true. Learning how to manage an estate and take his father’s place as an important figure in the town, socially and politically, had taken a lot from Victor’s personal life. He didn’t have as much time to spend with his family or friends, few as they were. He’d even stopped writing letters to Yuuri a few years after he left, though that could also be attributed to his forgetfulness, as well as his hectic schedule.

Still, he burned with shame for forgetting about his beloved little Yuuri. The son of his family’s groundskeeper and head chef, Yuuri and his sister Mari had grown up on the estate alongside Victor and his siblings; they were practically a part of the family themselves. Yuuri and Victor especially had a close bond – Victor couldn’t recall a time in his youth when Yuuri wasn’t beside him, be it playing games together or accompanying his lessons, all with that adorable smile on his face.

But when Yuuri had presented as an Omega, Victor’s mother, Lilia, had immediately recommended that he study abroad, as most well-bred Omegas did. Yuuri’s parents were unsure, but Lilia had promised to cover the costs herself, as well as find a suitable tutor – one who specialized in dance, Yuuri’s greatest passion. All she’d asked for in the way of repayment was for Yuuri to give their family a special performance upon his return. She’d claimed it was all in the name of preserving the arts, though Victor always suspected that his mother had just as big a soft spot for Yuuri as he did.

Yuuri ended up leaving when he was but nine years old, under the care and guidance of one Minako Okukawa – a longtime acquaintance of his mother, who happened to have the approval of Yuuri’s mother as well. Victor and Yuuri had clung to each other until the last possible second, the both of them crying shamelessly as Minako tugged the younger boy onto the train. Victor had promised to write him as often as possible. And then, after a few years of keeping that promise, he just… stopped. 

So to hear that Yuuri was returning –  _ today,  _ in fact – brought an onslaught of memories and emotions crashing onto Victor like a vengeful wave from the sea. Guilt was the main one, but happiness was also fighting for dominance. After all, it was  _ Yuuri. _

A hand on his shoulder startled him out of his thoughts, and he glanced up to see Georgi smiling gently at him.

“I understand. I’m sure Yuuri will, too.”

Victor smiled back. “Will he forgive me, though?

Yuri snorted. “Of course piggy will forgive you. You were always such a goddamned saint in his eyes.”

“Well, Yuuri had such an enormous crush on Vitya, it wouldn’t surprise me,” laughed Mila.

“Yuuri didn’t have a crush on me,” said Victor. 

All three of them turned and gave him a flat look. 

“Oh Vitya,” admonished Georgi with a shake of his head.

Victor frowned, but before he could reply, their front door was opening again, and the four siblings turned to see their father, Yakov, in the doorway, snow dusting his hat and shoulders as he walked inside. He closed the door behind him, only to see his children staring at him in the foyer. 

“What are you all doing?” he asked gruffly. He spotted the decorations held by his sons and frowned. “You’re not done setting up the surprise party? Yuuri is going to be home any minute now.”

Immediately, Georgi and Yuri moved, hurrying alone with their boxes in the direction of the sitting room – where Victor assumed the party would be held.

“You knew, too, Papa?” he asked, surprised.

Yakov raised an eyebrow. “Didn’t  _ you _ know about it?”

“He completely forgot, Papa,” answered Mila cheerily. “We had to remind him.”

A fresh wave of guilt hit Victor and he flinched, lowering his gaze to the ground. Yakov caught it and sighed.

“Well, that’s not much of a surprise. But that boy practically worshipped the ground you walked on, Vitya, I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”

“Georgi said something like that, too,” muttered Victor.

Mila just beamed and slung an arm around her older brother’s shoulder. “Come on, help me finish the banner. Maybe if we make it really pretty, Yuuri won’t think you forgot about him.” In her other arm, she hefted up the bundle of cloth that Victor now knew was a welcome home banner. He exhaled softly and nodded.

“It’s going to be the most beautiful banner Yuuri’s ever seen,” he declared. Mila laughed.

“That’s the spirit! Are you coming too, Papa?” She directed the last statement at Yakov, who shook his head.

“I have a few more matters to attend to. But your mother and I will be there for the welcome home dinner.”

He nodded his goodbyes at them and Mila waved him off as he disappeared in the opposite direction before pulling Victor towards the sitting room, where Georgi and Yuri were.

As they went, Victor’s thoughts drifted back towards Yuuri – or at least, as he last remembered him. He’d barely reached Victor’s waist before, being fairly small for his age, and his messy black hair was always hanging in his face, large glasses always perched precariously on the edge of his nose. And he had those big, brown eyes, always staring up at Victor in quiet awe.

He wondered what Yuuri looked like now.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation – zvyozdochka: little star


	3. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri comes home.

* * *

 

 

**Ten Years Ago**

_ “Yuuri, are you still moping?” _

_ Yuuri sniffled, turning his body away from Minako so that she couldn’t see his face. But his tutor persisted, walking across the floor of their shared hotel room to sit beside him at the windowsill. It was snowing outside, and Minako must have realized why Yuuri was upset again, for she placed a calming hand on his back and spoke softly. _

_ “I know you miss home,” she said. “I don’t blame you.” _

_ Yuuri finally lifted his head, exposing his tear-stained face to the older woman. “Did I do something wrong, Minako?” _

_ “What?” Minako looked stunned. “No! What on earth makes you think that?” _

_ “They sent me away,” he answered quietly. “Is it because I’m an Omega? Do they hate me now?” _

_ “Oh, Yuuri.” _

_ Minako quickly gathered the young boy into her arms. Yuuri stiffened, then slowly relaxed into the embrace, especially as Minako began to rub circles into his back. It reminded him of Mom. _

_ “Your family didn’t send you away because they hate you. This is something a lot of families do for their Omega children.” _

_ “Why?” murmured Yuuri, frowning into Minako’s shoulder. “I didn’t want to go.” _

_ “You’re not being punished for anything,” she assured him, squeezing his little frame. “They just want you to grow and learn and see the world. You can’t do that if you stay in one city your entire life.” _

_ “But the city has Vitya!” exclaimed Yuuri, with such sudden force that it made Minako flinch back with surprise. “And Yurio and Mila and Georgi! And my family, and Miss Lilia and Mr. Yakov, and – and the skating rink, and my old ballet studio, and –!” _

_ “Shh, shh, Yuuri,” Minako brought her hand up to card through Yuuri’s hair. It seemed to calm him down a bit, just like his mother said it would. “I understand. Really, I do. I went through the same thing when I first presented.” _

_ “Y-… You did?” _

_ She nodded. “My family sent me off with some Omega hag I’d never met before. I was angry, and sad, and confused. But then I realized what an amazing opportunity I had. I could see the world, learn new cultures, try great new foods!” She grinned as Yuuri let out a giggle. “And best of all, I could improve my dancing. Don’t you want all that?” _

_ Yuuri averted his gaze, his expression shifting oddly. “I… V-Vitya says I’m one of the best dancers he knows.” _

_ Minako chuckled. “With a little time and training, you could be the best dancer he knows, period.” _

_ “I could?” Yuuri looked up, bewildered. _

_ “Of course,” said Minako. “Part of this ‘studying abroad’ deal is meant to help you become more attractive to potential mates, anyway.” _

_ Yuuri, to her amusement, turned a deep shade of scarlet at the mere mention of ‘mates’. He never had to think about it before – he was just a child, after all. But after his presentation, a mate was suddenly going to be a very big part of his future. The idea of spending the rest of his life with someone like that was almost unfathomable. _

_ Unless… _

_ A head of silvery hair flashed in his mind, and Yuuri’s blush only deepened. He shook his head to clear away the image, and then he looked up at Minako, eyes wide and earnest. _

_ “You’re going to teach me how to be a good Omega?” he asked. _

_ “No,” Minako replied softly, ruffling his hair with clear affection in her eyes. “I’m going to help you become a better you.” _

 

* * *

 

The estate was just as Yuuri remembered it – large and imposing to new eyes, like a fairytale castle. An elegant house rising out of the snow, warm lights in the windows, surrounded by plants that could withstand the cold weather. But to him, it had always just been home.

He and Minako had gone around the house to the servants’ entrance and knocked twice, before the door was yanked open and Yuuri suddenly found himself enveloped in a bone-crushing hug, courtesy of a taller woman with wild brown and blond hair; and Yuuri knew exactly who she was.

“M-Mari!” he squeaked.

His sister laughed, lifting him in the air and twirling him around a few times before finally setting him down, an excited grin on her face.

“Yuuri! Welcome home!” She turned to Minako and offered a similar greeting, which the tutor accepted with a wide smile of her own. Then Mari grabbed both of their hands and led them inside.

“Just leave your luggage there,” she said, pointing to a corner in the hallway, “we’ll take care of unpacking after you’ve seen everyone again.”

“Where’s Mom and Dad?” asked Yuuri, after they’d done as she said. He looked around the walls as they walked through the house, quietly reveling in the feeling of being home.

“They’re around,” Mari answered, cryptically. “Waiting for you. Now, come on!”

Yuuri sighed, but went along after his sister, though not before sending Minako a tired, sideways glance. His tutor smothered a chuckle behind her hand. There was obviously a ‘surprise’ party waiting wherever Mari was leading them. It was exactly the sort of thing Yuuri’s family would do, after all. He was a little insulted that Mari thought she was tricking him.

But, to his surprise, they didn’t head for the servants’ quarters, or even the dining hall where his family used to eat. She led them to the main wing, grinning like a madwoman as they finally reached a grand set of double doors. If Yuuri remembered correctly, the sitting room was just beyond them. 

Without further preamble, Mari proudly opened the doors and swung them out, revealing, yes, the sitting room, which was decorated with colorful streamers, and a large banner across the back wall that read, “WELCOME HOME, YUURI!” Though the banner was still currently in the process of being hung, if the tall, dark-haired man on the ladder trying to pin it to the wall was any indication. 

Yuuri squinted. Was that Georgi?

“Mari!” a female voice called. “We weren’t ready!”

A redhead bustled into view with an armful of streamers, the ends of which were being held off the ground by a blond teenager with a grumpy face.

“Oh, shoot!” cursed Mari. “Sorry, I thought you were already finished!”

“Well, we weren’t,” said the teen mulishly. “Guess this was a shit surprise party, then.”

“Yuuri!” a new voice rang out, and it was one Yuuri would know anywhere. He turned on his heel to see his mother standing by a large table, which was laid out with various foods and desserts. His father was next to her, holding a small cake, though he hurriedly set it down and followed his wife, who had broken into a run at the sight of her baby boy. Yuuri ran, too, and met his parents in the middle of the room, being swept up into another tight embrace by the two of them.

“ _ Tadaima,”  _ laughed Yuuri, tears spilling over his cheeks.

“Oh, we missed you so much!” said Hiroko, tears gathering in her eyes. 

“You’ve lost weight,” Toshiya laughed.  “You’re taller, too. What happened to our little piglet, hm?”

“He’s turned into a beautiful prince, that’s what.  _ Wow,  _ Yuuri,” said the redhead, who had apparently dumped the streamers onto her blond companion. She strolled over to them, smiling fondly at the scene they made. Yuuri blinked.

“Mila? Is that you?”

She opened her arms wide. “It is! Now get in here, before I make you!”

Yuuri let out another laugh as his parents released him, only for him to be transferred into Mila’s arms. She was shorter than Yuuri now, and definitely more womanly than the last time he saw her, but she still hugged with the same fierce strength that used to frighten him a bit as a child.

“You cut your hair!” he exclaimed, once she let go of him.

She winked. “It looks cuter, doesn’t it? Besides, I’m not the only one.”

Yuuri opened his mouth to ask what she meant, but by then, the teen had dropped all the streamers rather rudely on the floor, and he’d stalked over to Yuuri, getting right up in his face with a stern glare. 

Yuuri looked down at him with no small amount of hesitation. Then, recognition sparked in his head.

“Yurio?” he asked bewildered. Yuri was just five years old when Yuuri left home, so naturally he looked incredibly different from what Yuuri remembered. 

Before he could say another word, the breath was knocked out of him as Yuri pulled him in for a hug. It was brief, however; he’d let go and stepped back before Yuuri could even lift his arms to reciprocate. The teen was looking at the ground, his cheeks tinged with pink.

“Welcome back, piggy,” he muttered.

Yuuri stared for a few moments, before his lips curled up and he pulled Yuri in for a longer, more proper hug, ignoring the teen’s squawks of protest.

“I missed you too, Yurio.”

“W-Who said I missed you? Let go!”

“He did miss you,” interrupted the dark-haired man, who had finally pinned the banner up and was descending the ladder to go and join them. Upon closer examination, it was definitely Georgi; unlike Mila and Yuri, he hadn’t changed his hairstyle at all in ten years. He came up next to Yuuri and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. “We all did. You look great, Yuuri.”

“Thanks, Georgi,” Yuuri smiled. He released Yuri, whose entire face was now pink. He looked around the room – Minako and his mother had since broken off into their own little world, chatting back and forth very quickly in their native tongue, probably going over some of the highlights of Yuuri’s trip. His father was standing next to them, nodding and smiling absently, while Mari and Mila had taken to teasing Yuri about his reaction to Yuuri’s hug. 

Yuuri noted, frowning, that they were the only people in the room.

Georgi seemed to have noticed. “Vitya’s coming,” he said, causing Yuuri to whip his gaze right back around. “He just went out to get more streamers.” The older man’s grin was bemused. “He said you’d like the blue ones better.”

“Ah…” Yuuri blushed, heart suddenly pounding. 

He was going to see his Vitya, and  _ soon.  _ He thought he was ready. He had planned to walk in, all confident and poised, just like Minako taught him, and sweep Victor off his feet, until he was all but begging to be Yuuri’s Alpha. Not that he’d have to beg very hard. Yuuri’s heart had been set on him for years.

Just then, a figure walked through the doorway, making everyone turn to look at him.

“So, I can’t find the dark blue streamers, but maybe we could make do with the lighter ones? He likes light blue too, I think… Oh?”

Yuuri was the last to turn around, and when he did, he practically froze. It was Victor.

He looked almost the same as he did ten years ago – granted, he was obviously taller, and more muscled, but his sharp features and piercing blue gaze were unchanged.

‘ _ Oh,’  _ Yuuri thought distantly, taking in Victor’s hair – the same gorgeous shade of starlight, but now shorter, framing his face like a silver frame.  _ ‘That’s what Mila meant.’ _

Victor frowned, confused as to why everyone was looking at him when he turned his head just slightly and finally caught sight of Yuuri. His eyes narrowed, as if trying to figure out who he was, then they widened, and his jaw dropped.

“Y-… Yuuri?”

Yuuri was snapped out of his daze. He couldn’t’ help himself; he sprinted towards Victor, heart soaring as the older man automatically opened his arms.

“Vitya!”

As soon as their arms locked around each other, it felt like neither one of them would ever let go again. Yuuri burrowed his head into Victor’s chest; he felt Victor’s nose brush against his temple. He even smelt the same, Yuuri thought dreamily, inhaling the soft scents of apple and vanilla. He could hear Mila and his mother’s cooing, as well as Yuri’s disgusted retching, but all that mattered in the world right now was Victor.

“Look at you,  _ zvyozdochka,”  _ whispered Victor. “You’ve grown so much.”

“I missed you,” replied Yuuri. He was barely holding back tears at this point. “I missed you so much, Vitya!”

Victor grip around him tightened. “… I missed you too, Yuuri. In fact…” Victor pulled his head back so that Yuuri could see his face – god, he was even more handsome close up. “I don’t think I’m going to let you go again. Ever. Make yourself comfortable, Yuuri, you’re not moving from this hug for the rest of your life.” Then he  _ winked,  _ and Yuuri felt his heart stop.

Still, he couldn’t help but giggle. “Fair enough. Going to the bathroom might get awkward, though.”

“We’ll work around it,” was Victor’s quick response. 

Yuri gagged; they both ignored him.

“Hey,” pouted Mila. “That’s not fair, Vitya! We all missed Yuuri, you can’t just hog him like you did before.”

“Too bad,” Victor stuck out his tongue. “He’s my little star and none of you can have him.”

Georgi smirked. “Oh, yeah?”

He shared a conspiratorial glance with Mila, Mari, and even Yuri, before the four of them suddenly pounced, latching onto Yuuri and Victor to try and pry them apart. Yuuri yelped, instinctively clutching Victor even tighter, while Victor kept shouting that he would not let go, under any circumstance.

The adults were watching the scene and laughing, and Yuuri finally felt like he was home.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, hopefully that lived up to most people's expectations ahaha...
> 
> Just a heads up, there might be a delay on the next few chapters, since my break is ending and I'm going back to school soon. But also, I've finished drafting the outline, so at least know that the entire story has been planned out. :)


	4. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The welcome home dinner, and then a date. Sort of.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahahaha, so you guys remember how I said there would be a delay? Well, I stayed up until four in the morning writing this chapter because I re-watched episode 12 and got emotional. (they just love each other so much *sobs*)
> 
> At any rate, this is the longest chapter yet. Enjoy!

* * *

 

 

Much later, after Victor had reluctantly let go of Yuuri (after a very unfair kick to his shins by Yuri, but no one seemed intent on punishing the teenager), they had their little welcome home party. They ate and drank, and most of all, asked Yuuri what his trip was like.

Victor was seated right next to Yuuri as he talked about the wonderful sights he got to see, the people he’d met, and the food he was able to eat, though none of it held a candle to his mother’s pork cutlet bowls – that last part elicited a smile from everyone (and a loud snort from Yuri).

The entire time, Victor found himself unable to look away from him. Even when his parents finally arrived and reunited with Yuuri, even when the topic of conversation shifted away from his travels and focused more on what the family had been up to in his absence, his gaze never strayed from Yuuri for long.

He was just so _pretty_ now.

Not that he hadn’t been nice to look at before; Yuuri had been an extremely adorable child, anyone could have told you that. But now that he was older, his features had evolved into a beautiful visage Victor could scarcely believe was the same as the chubby little boy from his youth. His build was now lithe and graceful, like a dancer’s should be, and his hair was permanently pushed out of his face in an attractive style.

Honestly, it was only due to his eyes that he recognized Yuuri in the first place. They were still the same earnest shade of brown that he remembered, partially hidden behind blue-frame glasses.

Speaking of, those eyes were currently focused on him. Victor stiffened. _Shit._ Yuuri had just asked him a question.

“Ah – I’m sorry, what? I spaced out,” he said sheepishly. Yuuri just smiled at him – were his lips always that pink? – and repeated his question.

“Do you still skate?” he asked.

Victor blinked. “… Not as much, anymore. I haven’t really been able to make time for it.”

Yuuri actually looked saddened by that, and Victor was hit with the urge to reach over and comfort him – an urge which he violently tamped down.

“That’s too bad,” sighed Yuuri. “I wanted to visit the rink tomorrow… I was hoping you could accompany me, Vitya.”

Victor swallowed down the lump in his throat. “W-Well, I…”

“Oh, Papa, let him go,” said Mila, from across the table. She was smirking, like she knew some great secret. “He can take Yuuri sightseeing!”

Victor looked to his father, who was at his usual place at the head of the table. Yakov sighed, running a hand down his face.

“I… suppose. Just because Yuuri is back. And just for tomorrow.”

Victor felt a smile stretch over his face. “Thank you, Papa!” he exclaimed before turning back to Yuuri, only to find the Omega grinning just as widely back at him.

“I can’t wait,” Yuuri said.

Warmth rose in Victor’s cheeks; all he could do in response was nod and smile.

“So, piggy,” interrupted Yurio, though Victor was quite glad for the distraction, as it got Yuuri to finally look away. “What are you going to do once you’re settled?”

“Oh! Actually, Minako suggested I join the Bolshoi Ballet.”

That earned a delighted smile from Lilia, who sat beside her husband. “That’s wonderful! You’ll make a lovely addition to their ranks, Yuuri.”

Yuuri flushed, ducking his head to hide his smile. Victor was at least pleased to see that he could still be completely adorable. “I have to pass an audition first, Miss Lilia.”

“I’m sure you’ll get in,” said Victor. “At least, if you dance as well as I remember.”

“I don’t,” said Yuuri, causing Victor to blink. Then the Omega grinned. “I’m much better now.”

Mila whistled. “Much more confident now, too.”

“That was the whole point of the trip,” said Minako proudly.

“I thought the whole point was to make me attractive to potential mates,” Yuuri said dryly, though his smile was still genuine.

 _Mates,_ Victor’s mind repeated. That’s right, Yuuri was old enough to seriously consider offers of marriage now.

“Well, I think you’re going to manage that, too,” smiled Mila. “Have I mentioned yet how pretty you are now, Yuuri?”

Yuuri blushed, but he laughed instead of averting his gaze, like Victor had expected him too. “Thank you, Mila.”

“Just don’t go and have your thoughts consumed by mates just yet, Yuuri,” said Lilia, with a stern look in her eye. “You’re still young. You can worry about those kinds of things later.”

Yuuri nodded. “I know. It’s hard to not think about it, but I’ve decided that my dancing should come first.”

Lilia smiled her approval, while Minako huffed.

“Still, whatever mate he does end up with better be supportive.”

“Why wouldn’t they be?” spoke Victor, flushing pink when Yuuri’s gaze returned to him. “I mean… what kind of Alpha would be so selfish as to _not_ support their mate? Especially if it’s Yuuri.”

Lilia shook her head. “Oh, my boy, you can be so naive.”

Her criticism went unnoticed by Victor, however, because Yuuri was smiling at him again. Not a bright grin, but a soft, serene smile, like Victor had just said all the right things to make him happy. He felt his heart racing in his chest, but despite his nerves, he smiled back, tentative but genuine.

He could hardly wait for tomorrow.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri and Victor planned to meet in the foyer of the mansion early the next morning. Yuuri had worried that he would be late, especially since he’d spent an extra ten minutes agonizing over his appearance, but to his surprise, he was the first one there.

Then again, he reasoned, it shouldn’t have been too surprising. Victor was never a very punctual person.

Though Victor did appear five minutes later, descending the staircase in the foyer and calling Yuuri’s name, his usual bright grin on his face… At least until Yuuri turned around to face him.

The Omega straightened his back, trying for an air of nonchalance as he felt Victor’s eyes trail up and down his form. He’d asked for Minako’s opinion, before they’d boarded the train back home, on what a good outfit would be for his first date with Victor - not that this was officially a date or anything - and he was currently wearing what she’d suggested.

The outfit was simple, extravagance having never been Yuuri’s forte, consisting of dark blue trousers, a matching vest, white dress shirt, and black shoes. He’d thrown his brown jacket over the ensemble, but overall, he thought he looked quite nice.  Blue _was_ his color.

He gave his best smile to Victor, who was still staring and had yet to say anything. “Vitya?”

Victor blinked, looking surprised. Then, a moment later, his grin was back, and he walked the rest of the way to stand next to Yuuri.

“You look nice,” he commented.

Yuuri fought down the surge of disappointment. Nice? That was it?

“Thank you,” he replied anyway.

“Shall we?” Victor gestured towards the door with one arm, holding out the other towards Yuuri.

He stared at it, astonished. Luckily, Yuuri recovered, and looped his arm with Victor’s, quietly reveling in the heat coming from the Alpha’s body. They were out the door in a few minutes, strolling into the city shortly after.

The city hadn’t changed too much in Yuuri’s absence - sure, there were a few new shops here and there, and Victor made sure to mention some of the ones that had since closed, but aside from all that, it was the same. Tall buildings, spaced tightly together, while the snow fell on and the streetlights glowed with warm light, the sidewalks busy with pedestrians.

Yuuri sighed happily.

“Yuuri?”

He turned and saw Victor looking at him quizzically.

“Oh, sorry,” he smiled. “I’m just… really happy to be back. I missed it here.”

“Ah,” Victor nodded. “I would’ve thought, with all the places you got to see, this city would seem… dull, in comparison.”

“Never!” Yuuri almost shouted, causing Victor to startle. “I missed this city every day!”

Victor blinked, before a teasing grin slipped onto his face. “Eh? But you got to go to so many exotic places, Yuuri! I’m so jealous, there’s nothing exciting around here anymore…”

“There’s you,” said Yuuri, so matter-of-factly that it made Victor pause.

“I… Oh.” The Alpha looked comically stunned, his mouth hanging open like he was going to say something but couldn’t.

Yuuri stared into his eyes, before smiling. “Vitya, I - !”

“Victor!”

Both men were startled out of the moment by a new voice, which boomed across the snowy walkways. They turned their heads to see a tall, handsome man striding towards them. His hair was blond and his eyes a startlingly bright shade of green. He was a stranger to Yuuri, but Victor seemed to recognize him.

“Chris!” he called, waving.

The man, apparently named Chris, stopped right in front of them. He had a charming smile on his face, though his attention was entirely focused on Yuuri.

“My, my, Victor, who is this vision? You didn’t tell me you were courting anyone!”

Yuuri raised an eyebrow, casting a glance Victor’s way. To his surprise, the Alpha was blushing slightly.

“A-Ah, no, Yuuri here is my friend. We’ve known each other since we were kids. Yuuri, this is Christophe Giacometti.” He waited for the man to bow before continuing. “His family moved here a few years after you left.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Yuuri said, smiling politely. He held out his hand for Christophe. “I’m Yuuri Katsuki.”

“Another Yuri, hm?” Christophe took a hold of Yuuri’s hand and raised it to his mouth, brushing his lips softly against the Omega’s knuckles. “I think Victor’s mentioned you before, actually.”

Victor, who had been staring at Yuuri’s hand and Christophe’s mouth with an uneasy feeling roiling in his stomach, snapped out of his daze at the mention of his name. “I have?”

Christophe laughed, allowing Yuuri to pull back his hand. “You don’t remember? Oh, Victor. We got drunk at Madeline’s party a few years back, and you spent the entire ride back to your house moaning on about how much you missed your ‘dear, darling star, Yuuri’. Of course, I thought you were talking about your brother, which didn’t really make sense, so I asked Georgi. He said there used to be a cute little kid that you fawned over living in your house, but he left to study abroad.” Christophe’s gaze shifted from a very pink Victor to an very amused Yuuri. “I’ve been curious ever since… I’m glad I finally get to meet him.”

“‘Fawned over’?” Yuuri repeated, giggling Victor’s way.

Victor, face delightfully red, groaned. “Georgi…”

“In any case, you _are_ quite cute. Or perhaps beautiful is a better word?” Christophe leered over Yuuri, in a way that might have seemed charming to other Omegas, though Yuuri was mostly just amused, so he laughed and responded in kind.

“Well, thank you, Mr. Giacometti.”

“Please, call me Chris,” he purred.

“Okay,” Victor stepped in between them, causing Chris to startle back, and Yuuri to glance curiously at the silver-haired Alpha. “This has been lovely, Chris, but Yuuri and I have somewhere to be. So.” He looked at Chris sternly.

Christophe blinked once, twice, then once more, before something akin to understanding dawned on his handsome features. He sent Victor a sly grin. “Oh, of course, of course. Don’t let me keep you. It was nice to meet you, Yuuri,” he directed that last statement at the Omega, adding a wink for good measure.

Yuuri bowed graciously. “You too, Chris.” He’d barely finished the sentence before Victor reconnected their arms and was dragging Yuuri away.

Christophe watched them go with a smile.

“Interesting.”

 

* * *

 

The skating rink was just as Yuuri remembered it, which he was glad for. By the time he and Victor made their way there, the sun was just beginning to set, though Victor was confident they could get at least an hour of skating in before they had to head home.

The cool air of the rink wasn’t too different from the cold air outside, but Yuuri welcomed its sensation on his skin nonetheless, closing his eyes in pure bliss.

Victor had laughed at his reaction. “Were there no other skating rinks anywhere you and Minako traveled?”

Yuuri opened one eye and pouted. “Well, yes. But this one is special. You taught me how to skate here.”

“I didn’t need to do much. I mostly just held your hand so you wouldn’t fall.”

“Which was good enough for me,” said Yuuri. He began to walk towards the front desk, where a young woman was tending to the rental skates.

Victor trailed after him, grinning.

“Excuse me?” said Yuuri, as soon as he’d reached the desk. The young woman looked up with a bright smile.

“Ah! Yes, how can I help… you…” She did a double take, her eyes going wide. “Wha…?”

Yuuri frowned, but Victor merely waved and gave the woman an innocent smile.

“Look, Yuuko! Yuuri is back!”

There was a moment of silence, then…

“YUURI!” Yuuko practically vaulted across the desk to throw her arms around Yuuri, who yelped.

“Y-Yuuko? Is that really you?”

“Yes! Oh, I’m so happy to see you!” Yuuko broke the hug, still holding onto Yuuri’s shoulders, and her grin was a mile wide. “It’s been so long!”

Yuuri gave a shy, tentative grin of his own. “It has. You look great, Yuuko.”

She beamed, flushing at his words. “Thanks! So do you - I mean _really!_ You’re gorgeous!”

Yuuri blushed, too, ducking his head. Victor wrapped an arm around his shoulder, laughing.

“Isn’t he?”

Yuuri’s cheeks darkened further, while Yuuko turned to Victor with a chastising look on her face.

“Victor! Why didn’t you tell me Yuuri was coming back? And you haven't been to the rink in forever!”

“Ah, well…” Victor scratched the back of his head. “I’ve been busy?”

Yuuko pursed her lips. It was obvious she didn’t quite believe it, but to Victor’s relief, she didn’t press the matter further. “Well, alright… You two are probably here to skate, huh?”

Yuuri nodded. “Yes.”

“Okay, I’ll grab you pair of rentals. But Yuuri, we have to catch up later, okay?”

“Okay, Yuuko,” Yuuri smiled.

They both watched Yuuko as she fetched them each a pair of skates, and soon, they were laced up and on the ice. Yuuko had gone back to the front desk, though Yuuri would catch her watching them make laps around the rink.

“Yuuko really is pretty, isn’t she?” he asked. “What is she up to now?”

Back before he left, before he’d presented, he’d had something of a crush on Yuuko. Of course, it was short-lived, his infatuation lasting only about a week before Victor did something new with his hair or something like that, but she had been one of his few friends outside of the Nikiforov family. He always saw her when his parents or Victor took him to the rink, and despite his shyness, she’d gone out of her way to befriend him. So naturally, he hoped she was doing alright.

Victor shrugged, performing a three turn with ease. For someone who hadn’t been skating in a while, it was clear that Victor had lost none of his skill.

“She’s married now,” he offered. “And she has kids, last I checked.”

Yuuri nearly stumbled. He looked back at where Yuuko was working with wide eyes. “Really? To who? _With_ who?”

“Uh…” Victor frowned, trying to remember. “That other boy who used to skate here when you were younger? What was his name? He pushed you once and I yelled at him for it.”

Yuuri blinked. “ _Takeshi?”_

“Ah!” Victor snapped his fingers. “That’s him!”

“She married Takeshi? And had kids with him?”

“Triplets, actually.”

Yuuri skated to the nearest divider and leaned against it, letting out a deep breath. “Wow.”

Takeshi hadn’t been a particularly close friend to Yuuri - in fact, most of their early acquaintance comprised mostly of Takeshi bullying Yuuri. But after that incident, when Yuuri was pushed so hard he fell onto his face and broke his glasses, Victor had given Takeshi such a fierce lecture that the other boy was nearly crying by the end of it. And then, the next day, Takeshi had sheepishly apologized to Yuuri, promising to never do it again. He even offered to teach Yuuri how he did a sit spin, and since then, they’d had an easy-going relationship.

Now that he thought about it, though, Takeshi had always been looking in Yuuko’s direction.

He smiled. “Good for them.”

Victor skated up next to him. “Didn’t you used to like her?”

“That was a long time ago. Besides, we both presented as Omegas, it wouldn’t have worked out.”

Victor hummed. After a moment, he pushed off the divider. “Want to see if I can still do a quad jump?”

They spent the next hour and a half gliding on the ice, practicing tricks and jumps. At one point, Victor convinced Yuuri that they should try a lift, and Yuuri agreed. Victor’s hand were large and warm on his waist as the Alpha lifted him up above, and for a few glorious seconds, Yuuri allowed himself to revel in the feeling.

Then, of course, Victor accidentally dropped him, but to be fair, it was their first time. Still, it had been funny to see Victor freak out when his grip slipped and Yuuri tumbled forwards, only to steady himself with one hand on the ice.

After they’d bid Yuuko goodbye, Yuuri teased him about it all the way home. By the time they reached the house, both were laughing, even as Victor escorted Yuuri all the way back to his room.

“Thank you again, Vitya,” said Yuuri, once they'd reached his door. “I had a wonderful time today.”

Victor smiled back at him. “I did, too. I can’t believe I forgot how much fun I have with you.” Then, realizing what he’d said, his expression turned panicked. “N-Not that I forgot you, _zvezda moya!”_

Yuuri put a hand on his shoulder, ceasing his apology. His smile was soft and sincere. “Vitya, it’s okay. I know.”

Victor tilted his head. “You… know?”

“You _did_ stop writing me letters…”

Victor’s face fell. “Oh...  _Yuuri,_ I’m so sorry, I’ve just been so busy, I forgot to reply to one, and then another, and I… I lost track of it all.”

“Vitya,” Yuuri said calmly. “I forgive you.”

“You do?” Victor looked uncertain. “Why?”

“Well, you didn’t forget about me completely, did you? Chris told us that much.”

“A-Ah, I suppose so…”

“Besides, you’re my Vitya,” he said simply. “I’ll always forgive you.”

Victor made a soft sound, like a gasp. He looked at Yuuri, something undefinable in his gaze.

“That’s… That’s a dangerous thing to say, Yuuri. What if I do something terrible?”

“You wouldn’t,” he answered right away, and it was so sure and confident that Victor felt like crying.

Before Victor could say anything more, Yuuri leaned up, on his tiptoes, and pressed his lips to Victor’s cheek. It lasted a second, maybe two, before Yuuri pulled away and smiled sweetly up at the Alpha.

“Goodnight, Vitya,” he murmured, before turning around and entering his room, leaving Victor out in the hallway of the servant’s quarters, staring at Yuuri’s door like he’d been frozen there.

Victor eventually turned around and walked back to his bedroom. He prepared for sleep in a daze, and he lay in bed, staring up at the dark ceiling.

His cheek was still tingling where Yuuri’s lips had touched it.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (get it, yuuri)
> 
> I used the name 'Bolshoi Ballet' mostly because I couldn't decide on a good name for a fictional ballet company. So, obviously, it isn't the same as the real life Bolshoi. \\(ovo)/
> 
> Now there definitely will be a delay on the next chapter. Unless I keep re-watching Yuri On Ice and crying over my laptop about these two goddamn losers. We'll see.


	5. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri performs for the Nikiforovs, but most importantly, he performs for Victor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't have much to say about this one, except that it's pretty short.  
> And also, for someone who did ballet for three years as a kid, I cannot for the life of me remember anything other than 'pirouette'.
> 
> I'm really excited for the next chapter, though! We're gonna meet my favorite character (aside form Yuuri) ~

* * *

 

 

The next few days went by in a busy flurry of activity and rehearsals for Yuuri. He and Minako had to prepare his audition for the Bolshoi Ballet, and because of that, he’d spent most of his time at home. Specifically in the dance studio Lilia had privately installed many years ago, before her children were even born - she’d been a beautiful ballerina herself, dancing with the Bolshoi for many years before she married Yakov, and a few more years until she’d gotten pregnant with Victor and decided to retire.

She always allowed Yuuri to practice there whenever he needed it, and he would always be grateful for that. Hopefully, he would live up to her expectations.

“I think we’ve got it,” Minako clapped. The last notes of music hovered in the air as Yuuri held his ending pose, panting with exertion, having completed his routine three times that day.

He broke the pose and leaned against the barre, watching his red-faced reflection stare back at him on the wall-sized mirror.

“Really?” he asked, once he caught his breath. “Something still feels off…”

“Yuuri, you’re in your best form yet.” Minako walked up next to him. “You’ll definitely get into the Bolshoi with this performance.”

Yuuri rolled his shoulders back. “It’s actually not the Bolshoi I’m worried about.”

Minako gave him a questioning look. “What do you mean?”

“I was thinking… I want to perform this routine for the Nikiforovs first.”

His tutor smiled. “I figured. You made it just for him, right?”

Yuuri blushed. “Yeah… Do you think he’ll like it?”

“It’s a beautiful piece,” she answered honestly. “He’ll love it.”

Yuuri smiled back. He straightened off the barre and went back to the record player. He pulled the needle up and back on the record, and a few seconds later, the starting notes of his chosen song echoed through the studio. He turned back to Minako.

“I’d like to go through it one more time.”

 

* * *

 

Yuuri announced his intention to perform for the Nikiforov family a short while later, to the elation of all. It took some planning - after all, everyone in the family had wilding conflicting schedules - but eventually, at the end of the week, everyone had been gathered in the studio, sitting on chairs that were brought in specifically for the occasion. Yuuri’s family was there as well, his mother and father practically bouncing in their seats.

Victor smiled at the assemblage, all of whom were waiting anxiously for Yuuri to come out and begin. Yuri was to his left, his arms crossed in a petulant manner, but Victor knew that he’d been one of the first to come down to the studio when  it was time. Mila and Georgi were to his right, speculating amiably about what Yuuri had planned for his performance, while their parents sat regally in their chairs. To a stranger, they seemed stoic, even angry, but Victor knew that Lilia was just as excited as Yuuri’s mother, and his father was quietly amused at it all.

Victor himself was eager for the performance to start. He fondly recalled the days when Yuuri, still small and chubby with youth, would pull him into the studio to watch him perform whatever new trick he’d learned that day. Yuuri had loved dancing from an early age, and Victor was happy that he’d decided to pursue his passions.

Minako strolled into the studio, Yuuri at her heels. Everyone sat at attention, watching them with keen eyes. Minako was dressed in her usual style, no practice clothes of any kind on her person, but  _ Yuuri… _

Victor audibly swallowed, but could not avert his gaze.

The Omega was wearing what Victor assumed was a standard practice outfit for ballet; a tight, white pair of leggings, matching shoes, and an equally tight black shirt that stretched across his chest. A sheer material flared out from his waist, creating the illusion of a shortened skirt that fluttered behind him as he walked. His glasses were absent, but his hair remained in its usual slicked-back style.

_ God,  _ he’d grown so pretty. Victor bit back a primal whine as Yuuri turned around to say something to Minako, showing off his backside to a now very flustered Alpha.

‘No,’ Victor scolded himself, tearing his eyes away. ‘Yuuri is your  _ zvyozdochka,  _ not a suitor.’

Still, when he brought his eyes back to Yuuri’s form, he found the Omega staring right at him. When their eyes met, Yuuri smiled, and Victor could not help but offer a weak grin of his own in return.

Yuuri looked away first, his gaze sweeping over his assembled family and friends. 

“Ah, so… This is going to be my audition performance for the Bolshoi,” he said, sheepish. “But I wanted you all to see it first. I’ve been working on it for a long time…”

“Get on with it, pig,” groaned Yuri. Victor and Lilia both sent him a stern look, which the young Alpha promptly ignored.

Yuuri blushed, ducking his head. “R-Right.”

Minako gave him an encouraging pat on his shoulder before walking over to the record player. Yuuri, meanwhile, took his position at the center of the studio, closing his eyes and breathing in deeply. Minako put on the record and moved to sit down next to Mari as a soft orchestra began to play.

Victor’s eyes widened. He knew that song.

Yuuri brought one hand up, opening his eyes slowly as he did, before bringing it down again to brush against his neck in a bashful gesture. He spun around and began to dance in earnest.

Every eye in the room was glued to Yuuri as he moved. A singer accompanied his dancing, lamenting a love he wanted to hold onto. Yuuri, in complement, danced with an air of longing and sweetness, his expression the perfect image of a young man in love.

Victor was transfixed. To see Yuuri with such an expression, to  _ this song…  _ An odd sensation pulled at his heart, icy and warm in equal measure.

Yuuri launched himself into a truly impressive  _ grand jeté,  _ his body soaring across the studio floor with grace - Victor heard a gasp from his left, and he was able to look away from Yuuri for a moment to see Yuri leaning forward, his green eyes sparkling with something he’d not yet seen in his little brother.

Curious, and unwilling to let himself be drawn once more into Yuuri’s alluring spell, he looked to the rest of his family. Mila was smiling at Yuuri with the fondness she only reserved for family. Georgi, of course, was tearing up at the emotional aspect of Yuuri’s dancing. Hiroko and Toshiya were in no better state, the former clinging to her accommodating husband with a happy smile on her face. Mari smirked in her unusually soft way, as Minako beamed proudly beside her. Lilia and Yakov still had their reserved miens, though it was in their nature to hold off on judgement until the end.

Victor did look back at Yuuri, as the song wound up to an emotional crescendo, and Yuuri pirouetted in response, his body spinning with practiced ease. Finally, the singer murmured the last line of the song, and Yuuri stepped out of the pirouette and moved into a final pose

His arms were wrapped around himself, and his head was tilted up towards the heavens. Yuuri’s face was flushed, and Victor knew it was exertion, but a part of him thought that Yuuri was genuinely blushing - combined with his still-lovestruck expression, it was almost as if Yuuri was preparing to receive a kiss.

The record stopped, the echoes of music halting along with it, and for a moment, it was quiet, save for Yuuri’s soft pants of breath.

Then, the assembled audience broke into applause. Mila, Mari, and Yuuri’s parents practically bolted out of their seat to run over to Yuuri and tackle him in a hug.

“Yuuri, that was amazing!” said Mila.

“You were so beautiful!” Hiroko beamed.

Georgi stood, too, though he walked over to Yuuri at a far more respectable pace. He was wiping his eyes free of tears.

“That was truly wonderful, Yuuri,” he smiled. “I could practically feel your emotions like they were my own.”

Yuuri, still panting, managed a grin. “Thank you. That really means a lot.”

Yuri made his way over as well, his usual childish scowl replaced with a look of awe. “That was…”

Mila smirked and pounced on her younger brother. “You should’ve seen Yura’s face! He looked halfway in love with you already!”

At once, Yuri hissed, and struggled against his sister’s strong grip. “As if! Get off me, hag!” 

The two of them wrestled, to the amusement of everyone else, as Victor and his parents finally got up and approached Yuuri. Yuuri smiled at Victor.

“Did you like it?” he asked, almost coyly. 

“It was incredible,” Victor replied, breathless. “Yuuri, that song - !”

“That  _ was _ a familiar melody,” interrupted Yakov. He regarded Yuuri strangely, an eyebrow raised as the Omega flustered. “‘ _ Stay Close to Me’,  _ isn’t that its name?”

“Y-Yes, I remembered Vitya listening to it all the time before I left,” said Yuuri. “It reminded me of home, so…”

Yakov hummed, the sound gruff and distrusting. But Lilia stepped forward, so Victor couldn’t comment on it.

“It truly was marvelous, Yuuri,” she said, nodding. “The Bolshoi will be a great place for you.”

“I just hope I can get in,” replied Yuuri. “My audition is next week.”

“If you dance the same way you did just now,” said Minako, who sauntered up to Yuuri to weave her arm around his shoulder, “there’s no way you  _ won’t  _ get in.”

Every one else chorused their agreement (even Yuri, though he seemed reluctant to admit it). Yuuri smiled and modestly accepted their compliments, and all the while, Victor watched him, contemplative.

Yuuri had been beautiful, there was no denying that. And his technique, as far as Victor’s knowledge of ballet went, was perfect. Yet instead of pride, something more melancholy weighed on Victor’s mind. Seeing Yuuri so emotional, so  _ in love…  _ And to Victor’s favorite song? It had to mean something… didn’t it?

Something Mila said caused Yuuri to laugh, and the sound of it broke Victor from his reverie. He shook off his confusing thoughts, and joined the rest of his family in praising the Omega. 

He could worry about it later.

 

* * *

 

A week later, a stunned Yuuri returned home, his ballet flats gripped tightly in one hand.

Victor put a hand on his shoulder, concerned. “Yuuri?” When that didn’t shake Yuuri from his state, he tried again, louder. “ _ Zvezda moya?” _

Yuuri finally blinked, looking at Victor with wide eyes.

“I got in,” he whispered.

Victor’s resulting hug had them both sprawling on the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it might not have come across, but the reason Victor feels a bit sad at Yuuri's performance is because he thinks it's just an act. Then he rationalizes that he shouldn't feel sad, because he and Yuuri aren't courting anyway. 
> 
> Victor is a dumbass. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


	6. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yuuri's first day at the Bolshoi, and another sort-of date with Victor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I honestly did not expect this chapter to get as long as it did. 
> 
> It's Victor's fault, naturally.

* * *

 

 

**12 Years Ago**

_“Vitya?”_

_Victor looked up from his book to find Yuuri peering up at him. He beamed at the young boy and patted the space next to him. Soft music filled the room around them._

_“Yuuri! Come up, come up!”_

_Yuuri had to climb a bit to get on the armchair with Victor, but once he was situated, Victor wrapped an arm around his little star and held him close. He felt Yuuri stiffen then relax, per the usual._

_“Vitya?” Yuuri asked again, quieter._

_“Yes,_ zvezda moya _?”_

_“What song is this?”_

_“Ah,” Victor looked towards the record player. “It’s called ‘Stay Close to Me’. Why do you ask?”_

_“You’ve been listening to it a lot,” replied Yuuri._

_“Well, I like it,” Victor shrugged. “Isn’t it a pretty song?”_

_Yuuri listened for a few moments, frowning. “It sounds sad to me.”_

_Victor smiled again. “It’s that, too. Do you want to know what it’s about?”_

_Yuuri nodded._

_“A man is singing to his love. He doesn’t want them to leave his side.”_

_Yuuri blinked up at him, all childish innocence and big, brown eyes. “Why would they leave him at all?”_

_“Hm?” Victor tilted his head. “What do you mean?”_

_“If… If they love each other, why would they leave him?”_

_Victor paused for a moment, pursing his lips. “Well… There could be extenuating circumstances.”_

_“Ex…” Yuuri furrowed his brow. “Ex-tenyuu-ating?”_

_“Extenuating,” Victor corrected gently. “It means that whatever happened, it was understandable. Maybe they had to leave for some reason or another. Either way, the man wants his lover to stay close to him.”_

_Yuuri hummed quietly, leaning against Victor’s side. Victor leaned back, resting his cheek on Yuuri’s head. It was quiet for a while, save for the singer’s longing tune weaving through the air. Victor continued to read, while Yuuri seemed content to just sit there with him._

_A little while later, Victor finished his book, closing it with a satisfied smile. The record had long since stopped playing, and he looked down to see Yuuri asleep against him. Victor chuckled. He put the book aside and gently scooped Yuuri into his arms, and carried him back to his mother._

_As he handed the child to Hiroko, Yuuri’s brow furrowed and his nose crinkled._

_“Vitya…” he mumbled, shifting as his mother and Victor both giggled._

_Yuuri was so cute._

 

* * *

 

The Bolshoi Ballet was housed in the largest theatre in the city.

Yuuri had been there twice in his childhood. The first time had been with the Nikiforovs; Lilia was insistent that all the children living under her roof be exposed to finer culture, and so Yuuri and Mari were able to accompany Victor and his siblings to a performance of Cinderella. That was the day Yuuri discovered dance, and he was enchanted.

The second time had been a month after his presentation. His mother and Lilia had arranged for him to meet his future tutor, a former ballerina of the Bolshoi: Minako Okukawa. He remembered being so anxious, surrounded by the gilded walls and velvet chairs of the theatre, clutching his mother’s hand as tightly as possible as Lilia went to fetch the Omega who would take care of Yuuri for the next several years of his life. Despite his mother’s reassurances, Yuuri had been about to faint when Minako finally appeared, looking like grace itself in an elaborate white costume.

Though Minako had quickly made Yuuri laugh within five minutes of meeting her, that feeling of dread was no stranger to him even now, as he walked through the doors of the theater as an adult of nineteen years. It didn’t help that he was alone this time. His parents and Mari had their own work to worry about, and Victor had been busy. Georgi did offer to escort him there, but Yuuri politely turned him down - even if he was an Omega, he could walk to the theatre by himself.

As soon as he walked in, he noticed a number of dancers already practicing on the stage. He hesitated, unsure of who to approach. Luckily, someone spotted him and quickly jumped off the stage, rushing towards him with a wide smile.

“You must be Yuuri!” the person beamed. He was a young male, probably no older than Yuuri himself, with dark skin and bold eyebrows. “Our new recruit, right?”

“U-Um, yes,” Yuuri stuttered, silently cursing himself. “I’m Yuuri Katsuki. It’s nice to meet you, Mister…?”

The man laughed, waving his hand dismissively. “Oh no, none of that ‘Mister’ stuff! Just call me Phichit!”

“Oh, okay…”

Before Yuuri could say more, Phichit grabbed a hold of his hand and started pulling him towards the stage, and the other dancers.

“Everyone! The new guy is here!” he called out cheerfully, ignoring Yuuri’s weak protests.

All the dancers halted, observing Yuuri with curious eyes. Phichit pulled him up on stage and positioned him front-and-center. Yuuri sweat nervously, before Minako's teachings echoed in his head, and he straightened his back and looked them all head-on.

“Hello, everyone,” he said, smiling smoothly. “I’m Yuuri Katsuki. I look forward to working with you all.”

“Oh, he’s so polite,” one of the dancers sighed dreamily.

“And pretty,” added another.

“Yuuri, you’re an Omega, right?” asked yet another.

Yuuri was thrown momentarily by the unexpected question, but recovered soon enough. “Yes, I am. Why?”

“Just wondering. Celestino seemed really impressed by your audition, and usually the ones that dazzle him like that are Omegas.”

“Well, Ciao Ciao does love a pretty Omega,” laughed Phichit. “Oh, but don’t worry about him. He’s a perfect gentleman Alpha, our Ciao Ciao.”

“Ciao… Ciao?” Yuuri blinked, hopelessly lost.

“That’s our nickname for our troupe’s leader, Celestino Cialdini. Though, Phichit’s the only one who ever calls him that.” A tall, handsome man walked up to Yuuri, a confident smile on his face. “I’m Jean, by the way. Jean-Jacques Leroy. But you can call me JJ.”

JJ stuck out his hand, and, after a moment, Yuuri did as well, letting the taller man press his lips to his knuckles. JJ hummed, lips lingering a second longer than Yuuri was used to, before he finally pulled back, still wearing the same smug smile.

“You know, if you’re as good as Celestino says, we just might end up partners,” he winked at Yuuri, who shifted uncomfortably.

“Why do you say that?”

“JJ is an Alpha,” answered Phichit. “And our best Alpha dancer. Ciao Ciao usually pairs up the best Alpha with the best Omega.”

“Ah, no wonder Celestino seemed excited,” said one of the dancers with a look of understanding. “JJ’s last partner quit a few months ago, and none of our other Omegas have been able to keep up with him.”

Yuuri hummed in acquiescence. “I guess we’ll see.”

“Oh!” Phichit said suddenly. “Before I forget, introductions! You’ve already met me and JJ, but here’s everybody else!”

The other dancers laughed at Phichit’s energy as he flitted about the stage, introducing Yuuri to everyone.

There were a lot of names to learn, but Yuuri managed to get a few down by the time Phichit finished. Seung-Gil and Emil were the only other Alphas besides JJ. Then there was Sara and Michele, a pair of Omega twins, and Guang-Hong, another Omega. Lastly, Leo was a Beta, like Phichit.

Speaking of Phichit… The Beta had taken it upon himself to show Yuuri around. His good mood was infectious, and Yuuri quickly forgot about his earlier anxiety.

“So, Yuuri,” Phichit’s voice took on an almost conspiratorial tone. They were walking backstage, away from the other dancers, who were still practicing. “You just got back from your whole ‘studying-abroad-as-an-Omega’ thing, right?”

“How did you know?” asked Yuuri.

“I heard Ciao Ciao mention it. You trained under a famous former Bolshoi ballerina, didn’t you?”

“Gossip travels fast around here,” Yuuri remarked dryly, though he still smiled.

Phichit laughed. “The sooner you get used to it the better. No one can keep secrets from me.”

Yuuri laughed, too. “Well, to answer your question, yes. My tutor’s name is Minako Okukawa. I’ve trained under her for ten years now.”

“Wow,” Phichit whistled. “No wonder Celestino liked your audition. You really might end up partnering with JJ.”

Yuuri frowned. “Is that a bad thing?”

“JJ can be… a bit much,” the Beta said, though not unkindly. “He’s really confident, and sometimes that throws his partners off. Not that he doesn’t have reason too, though. He really is one of our best dancers.”

Yuuri gave a half-smile. “I’m sure I can handle a little ego.”

“A little ego, sure,” Phichit grinned. “But a _JJ ego?_ No one’s prepared for that.”

 

* * *

 

“Can you quit it with the fucking pacing? I can’t concentrate if you keep doing that.”

Victor paused, turning slightly to see Yuri in the sitting room with him, a history textbook over his lap.

“Oh. Yurio. When did you get here?”

Yuri scowled. “I was here _first._ You just walked in and started muttering to yourself about the pig’s first day at the Bolshoi. And you’ve been doing it _all. Day._ ”

“Well, I’m worried!” complained Victor. Still, pacing the floor didn’t have the same appeal now that his little brother called him out on it. He flopped onto the sofa beside Yuri and groaned. Yuri recoiled away from him like an angry cat reacting to water.

“Go worry somewhere else! I’m studying!”

“Why don’t you study in your room?”

“Why don’t you worry in _your_ room?!”

“What is Vitya worrying about?”

Both Alpha’s whipped their heads around to see Yuuri standing in the doorway. The Omega was watching them curiously, almost fondly, and Victor shot out of his seat to walk over to him.

“Yuuri! How was your first day? Was it okay? Were the other dancers nice?”

“He’s not a fucking kid,” grumbled Yuri.

Yuuri chuckled weakly, catching Victor’s attention. “I’m fine. It was fine. A lot of the dancers were really kind.”

Victor frowned. “But…?”

Yuuri sighed. “Well… there’s this one Alpha… He’s…”

Victor took Yuuri by the hand and led him over to the sofa. Yuri had given up on his textbook and scooted aside to let Yuuri sit in the center. Victor still had his hand holding Yuuri’s.

“Yuuri?” he prompted gently. “This Alpha…?

“His name is JJ,” said Yuuri. “And he’s… annoying. So very, very annoying.”

Victor and Yuri both blinked, before the younger of the two snorted.

Victor ignored his little brother’s chortling and moved closer to Yuuri. “How do you mean?”

Yuuri looked agitated just thinking about. “He seemed okay at first, maybe a little flirtatious, but…”

“He flirted with you?” Victor asked.

“A bit. Mostly he just bragged about what a great dancer he was and how I better keep up if I was going to be his partner.”

“Wait, you’re gonna dance with him?” Yuri spoke.

“Well, I don’t know yet. Celestino - the troupe leader - said he’d let me adjust before assigning me a partner. But JJ is the only Alpha without a partner, and everyone says the best Omega is usually paired with him…” Yuuri sighed. “I’d like to be the best Omega there, but at what cost?”

“I’m sure he’s not that bad,” tried Victor.

Yuuri gave him a flat look. “He has a catchphrase. And a signature pose. I’m pretty sure he has a theme song, too.”

Yuri broke into another round of laughter. “ _Wow._ You sure attract the best, piggy.”

Yuuri groaned, burying his face in his hands. Victor squeezed his hand, making him look up with a tired but grateful smile.

“You can handle, him, _zvyozdochka_ ,” said Victor.

“Yeah, you’ve dealt with Victor,” sneered Yuri. “How bad can this other Alpha be?”

“Vitya was _never_ this bad,” Yuuri declared.

Victor’s lips ticked up in a smile. “Thank you?”

“You said he flirted?” Yuri asked, after a beat had passed. “How pushy was he?”

“It was less ‘pushy’, more… Like, he turned every compliment about me into one about himself.” At their confused looks, Yuuri elaborated, putting on an exaggerated accent and gesturing wildly with his hands. “‘My, my, Yuuri, aren’t you a lovely dancer? You’ll make a wonderful compliment to me when he perform together! Ah, you look best in blue? How wonderful! I look fantastic in red, the designers will love making our costumes! Oh, you’re a bit more delicate than most Omegas, but don’t worry! I’ll look after you! JJ Style!’ And so on.”

Victor grimaced. “That’s… wow.”

Yuuri sighed. “To be fair, I don’t think he’s intentionally annoying. But I don’t know if it’s just an act or if that’s just how he is.”

“He sounds like a douche,” drawled Yuri. “Are you really going to dance with him?”

“I’ll have to, if he’s my partner. But, I didn’t get into the Bolshoi just to get discouraged by some overzealous Alpha. I’ll manage.”

“There’s my _zvyozdochka,”_ Victor beamed. “I’m proud of you.”

Yuuri’s cheeks darkened, but he accepted Victor’s praise with his head held high.

“Even if this Alpha does become a problem,” Yuri said suddenly, startling them both, “We can take care of him for you. You know Mila knows some pretty impressive self-defense moves now?”

Yuuri laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind. But, for now, no bodily harm of my fellow dancers, okay?”

Yuri rolled his eyes and picked up his textbook again. “Whatever, pig. Now, can you two get out of here? I actually have to study.”

“Why don’t you study in your room?” asked Yuuri innocently, causing Victor to laugh.

Yuri kicked them out in two seconds.

“Yurio’s gotten a bit scary, hasn’t he?” a bewildered Yuuri commented, after Yuri had shut the doors to the sitting room in their faces.

Victor chuckled, “It’s the teenage angst. He’ll grow out of it. Be lucky you weren’t here to see the worst of Georgi’s teenage phase.”

“I can only imagine,” smiled Yuuri.

Victor smiled back, his eyes wandering Yuuri’s face for what he wished he could say was the first time. His cheeks were still flushed from the cold, so he must have only gotten home a few minutes again. And his hair was ruffled from practice, more than a few midnight strands falling out of his carefully-maintained style and brushing against his forehead.

‘No,’ he thought wistfully. ‘Still gorgeous.’

“Say,” Yuuri spoke up. “Are you busy tonight?”

“Hm? Oh, no. As far as I know, I’m free for the rest of the evening. But, well, Papa is fond of coming up with errands for me to run out of nowhere.”

Yuuri’s lips curved into a mischievous grin. “Well, why don’t we go out before he can catch you?”

Victor froze, staring at Yuuri incredulously. “W-What? Right now?”

“Why not?” shrugged Yuuri. “I could really stand to relax after the day I’ve had. Do you know anywhere we could go?”

“Uh…” Victor floundered a bit, thrown off by Yuuri’s amused gaze. “C-Chris’s family owns a bar downtown. It’s, er, sort of upscale, though…”

“Ah, then I should probably get changed.” Yuuri looked down at his practice clothes, then back up at Victor. “Wait for me?”

Victor could only nod dumbly as the Omega flitted away, presumably back to his room so he could change.

Behind him, the door to the sitting room opened, just a sliver, and Yuri poked his head out, his expression unamused.

“Dumbass,” was all his little brother said before slamming the door shut once more.

 

* * *

 

The Giacometti bar, _Rapsodie,_ was not an unfamiliar sight to Victor. Ever since he and Chris had become acquainted, he visited the establishment as often as his schedule would allow. It was a special mix of classy and risqué, its dark-paneled exterior and sensual lighting providing an almost provocative atmosphere. On most days, Victor appreciated the aesthetic. However, that particular night, he was finding it hard to pay attention to his surroundings.

And of course, it was because of Yuuri.

Victor had waited for the young Omega by the front door, and when he arrived, he could definitely tell that he’d cleaned up a bit. His hair was straighter, his glasses were back on his nose, and if Victor leaned a little closer, he could almost swear Yuuri’s lips were glistening with balm.

Yuuri had also been wearing his large overcoat, so Victor couldn’t see what he was wearing. He didn’t speak up about it, of course, opting to merely smile and hold out his arm, as he’d done during their first outing together.

It had been hard enough to ignore Yuuri’s outfit back then. He could only imagine what he was going to wear to a _bar._

As soon as they walked past _Rapsodie’s_ doors, Chris waltzed up to them, as if he knew they were coming.

“Victor, Yuuri,” he greeted. He was dressed handsomely in a black and red suit that matched the bar’s theme. “What brings you to our humble establishment?”

“Vitya said this was a good place to relax,” answered Yuuri. He was looking around the bar with a smile. “Though I wasn’t expecting anything quite so… sultry.”

“Sultry is our specialty,” winked Chris. He came around behind Yuuri and opened his arms. “May I take your coat?”

Victor frowned at his friend, the uncomfortable feeling returning to his gut. But then Yuuri unbuttoned his coat and let it slide from his shoulders, and the only feeling Victor had at that point was _awe._

Yuuri was wearing a black dress shirt, the sleeves loose around his forearms. A fitted black vest went over the shirt, embellished with silver stones that glinted in the bar’s low light. His collar was opened, exposing the alluring line of his neck down to his chest. Completing the look was a pair of black trousers, though calling them that might’ve been an exaggeration in Victor’s book - no garment had the right to look that tight on _anyone’s_ legs, let alone Yuuri’s.

Chris let out a low whistle as he folded Yuuri’s coat over his arm. “Wow. Do you usually dress like this when you want to relax?”

Yuuri sent him a dazzling smile. “Maybe I do.”

And with that, he sauntered off towards the nearest empty table. Victor’s eyes were glued to him as he went, gaze unwillingly drawn down towards the curve of the Omega’s -

Chris sighed wistfully, snapping Victor out of his trance. “I thought he was pretty before, but _damn…_ It’s not fair, you keeping him all to yourself. _”_

Victor coughed uneasily into his fist. “I’m not keeping him,” he muttered. “That was a surprise for me, too.”

“Oh?” Chris smirked as he walked over to hang Yuuri’s coat along with the other guests’. Victor followed him, though he kept casting glances back at the Omega, who had taken a seat and was currently ordering a drink. “And what do you think of your ‘little star’ now?”

“He’s… He’s certainly grown up.”

“That he is.” Chris hung up the coat and turned to Victor, his expression still teasing. “Perhaps I’ll ask him for a dance tonight. He looks like he’d be very… flexible.”

Victor clenched his fist, a noise bubbling up in his throat, and Chris took a step back, eyes wide.

“Or not,” he said, blinking. “No need to growl at me, Victor.”

The Alpha startled. Had he just growled? “I -! Sorry, Chris, I don’t know what came over me…”

Chris gave him an appraising look for a few seconds before sighing. “Of course you don’t.  Well, you’d best get back to Yuuri. Looks like I’m not the only one who appreciates his look.”

When Victor frowned in confusion, Chris simply pointed a finger back towards where Yuuri was sitting. Victor followed its direction, only to find Yuuri now chatting amiably with two other men Victor didn’t recognize. Ice spiked in Victor’s gut once more, and without saying another word to Chris, he began striding towards the scene, barely restraining another growl.

As he drew closer, he could begin to hear their conversation.

“Come on, darling, are you sure?” asked one of the men. He was leering over Yuuri, eyes wandering everywhere but Yuuri’s face.

“Thank you, but no,” came Yuuri’s polite reply. “I’m here with someone else.”

“Your Alpha?” asked the other. “Surely he wouldn’t mind if we just had one little dance…?”

“He’d mind,” snapped Victor, who had finally gotten close enough to stand right behind the two men. They jumped, whirling around to face Victor (and he was immensely grateful that they were both shorter than him), matching looks of fear in their eyes. Yuuri, on the other hand, blinked in surprise at Victor’s sudden appearance, but the expression soon melted away and was replaced with coquettish amusement.

“S-Sorry, Sir!” the first man stammered. “We didn’t mean to - That is, we weren’t really  going to - !”

The second man wasted no time on apologies, merely grabbing his babbling friend by the wrist and pulling him away. Neither of them looked back, though Victor made sure to watch them retreat until he could no longer see them. When they were gone, Victor huffed and turned back to Yuuri.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Yuuri giggled. “I’m fine. They weren’t really bothering me, you know. All they did was ask for a dance.”

“Well, you were clearly rejecting them,” sulked Victor. He slid into the seat beside Yuuri. “I don’t like the way they were looking at you.”

“They certainly won’t look at me that way anymore, now that they think _you’re_ my Alpha.”

Victor froze. “Oh… I did imply that, didn’t I? Er, sorry. I didn't mean to... Yeah.”

Something in Yuuri’s eyes softened. “Don’t worry about it.”

Grateful, Victor picked up a menu and browsed the drinks selection, unaware of Yuuri’s burning gaze.

“So, what did you order?”

 

* * *

 

They returned home at a reasonably respectable hour; the lights were still on in the manor, so not everyone was asleep, though Yuuri most certainly was.

Victor adjusted his hold on the the dozing beauty as he worked open the door. As it turned out, if Yuuri drank enough just to feel tipsy, he would begin to get drowsy as a result. He’d started nodding off at some point, leading Victor to gather their things and leave, a half-conscious Omega leaning against him.

Chris’s smug, knowing grin would haunt Victor’s dreams, surely.

By the time they’d finally arrived back at the manor, Yuuri was entirely knocked out, and Victor had to resort to carrying him bridal style to get him past the doorway in an efficient manner.

He carried Yuuri to his room, grateful that no one had stumbled upon them yet. Though the scene they presented was entirely innocent, Victor still felt strange about anyone else seeing Yuuri in such a state. Cheeks flushed with alcohol, mouth parted with soft snores, and eyelashes casting delicate shadows across his cheeks, Victor nearly ran them both into a wall, distracted as he was with glancing down every five seconds.

He finally made it to Yuuri’s room, and luckily, the door was unlocked. He maneuvered them inside and quickly strode across the room to deposit Yuuri on his bed as gently as possible.

As soon as Victor’s arms left him, Yuuri’s face scrunched up in protest.

Victor held in a chuckle. At the very least, Yuuri still retained some habits from his childhood. His brow furrowed the same way, his crinkled nose was nearly identical to his childhood self. Even his lips, pursed in displeasure as they were…

Well, they were pinker now, Victor had already noted that. And a bit of lip balm had stubbornly remained through all the drinking and chatting of the night, leaving his mouth looking invitingly soft.

Victor leaned in closer, eyes riveted to Yuuri’s lips. He could smell the sweet scent of the drinks the Omega had consumed that night, drawing him in even further.

“Vitya…” Yuuri mumbled.

It was as if a glass had shattered, ending the spell. Victor jerked back, his heart beating a mile a minute. He hurriedly scrambled out of the room and closed the door behind him, not stopping again until he was safe back in his own bedroom. Then he climbed into bed, not bothering to change his clothes or brush his teeth.

‘ _Shit,’_ he cursed internally. ‘Was I really just about to…?’

He shook his head, tossing the thought away before it could finish. No, it was just the alcohol. It had to be. Yuuri was like his little brother, Victor couldn’t think of him any other way.

Could he?

He buried his face into his pillow and groaned uselessly.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Oh Victor. You lovably clueless man, you.) Side note, I really love writing Yurio?? He's such a little shit.
> 
> Last chapter I said that we'd meet my favorite YoI character besides Yuuri in this installment. You might've thought I meant Phichit. But no, it's actually JJ. Phichit wasn't even supposed be in this chapter, he just snuck in and commandeered that section. 
> 
> Sorry JJ, but at least you get a bigger part in the next chapter!


	7. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Bolshoi announces its latest production, and Yuuri and JJ spend some time getting to know each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No Victor in this chapter, but he'll be back by the next one. Hopefully. This chapter kind of got away from me, haha. I just love JJ too much.
> 
> And once again, I really don't know much about ballet or the way they go about making productions. Just bear with me, please;;

* * *

 

 

A week passed, and the routine at the Nikiforov household had normalized. Hiroko and Toshiya were normally up first, going about their daily routines in cleaning the house and preparing meals, and Mari wasn’t too far behind them. Then Yakov and Lilia awoke next, the former going to drag Victor out of bed so they could attend to their own duties, while the latter woke the rest of their children. Georgi and Mila often went out to socialize, while Yuri preferred to stay at home, minding his own business.

Yuuri was usually among the early risers, with his new position at the Bolshoi demanding punctuality. Often times he left the house before even Victor and Yakov, so he didn’t get to see Victor until late at night, when he returned.

Though, even then, it seemed like he hardly got to see Victor at all.

Ever since that night, when they went out to Chris’s bar, Victor had been very hard to get a hold of. Yuuri wondered if perhaps he’d come on a bit strong, and made Victor uncomfortable. But Victor had  _ definitely  _ been interested, he reasoned; the way he looked at Yuuri in his specially-chosen outfit (nicknamed ‘Eros’ by Minako, to his own amusement) could be mistaken as nothing but desire. At the very least, he was attracted to Yuuri on a physical level.

Yuuri sighed. There wasn’t much he could do about it without talking to Victor directly. And with the silver-haired Alpha nowhere to be found, that could take a while. So Yuuri went about his routine as per usual, and went to the Bolshoi, arriving right on time.

“Ah, Yuuri!” Celestino spotted him as soon as he walked out of the changing room. “There you are! I’ve got some news!”

Yuuri smiled and let the troupe leader escort him to the stage, where the other dancers were waiting in a semi-circle. Yuuri took his place next to Phichit, and waited with the rest of them to hear Celestino’s announcement. 

“We’ve selected the programme for our winter production!” boomed Celestino, opening his arms wide and theatrically. Excited chatter immediately began to titter throughout the assembled dancers.

“What is it?” asked Leo.

“ _ The Tale of the Lonely Playboy _ ,” he answered.

Yuuri frowned. “I don’t know that one.”

“Me neither,” said Phichit. “Ciao Ciao?”

“It’s new production,” he explained. “But I was very impressed with it, so we’re going to give it a try!”

JJ spoke up next. “What’s it about?”

“A playboy, naturally, who seduces beautiful people left and right, but feels that his life is incomplete. Then he meets an exquisite young man who resists his advances. Pride hurt, he does his best to win over the man, only to find himself falling in love! It’s a wonderful tale of love and regret!”

Guang-Hong beamed from his place beside Leo. “Wow! An original production, doesn’t that sound exciting?”

The other dancers chorused some form of agreement, making Celestino grin.

“That’s the spirit! We start working on choreography right away. As for roles, I’ll let you all read a copy of the story first, but I have an idea for the leads…” His gaze drifted over to JJ first, and the Alpha puffed up his chest, haughty. “JJ would make a good playboy, I think.”

“Of course!” he boasted. “I’m easily as bewitching!

Yuuri sighed and Phichit chuckled beside him.

Celestino nodded. “Good, good. Now, Yuuri?”

The troupe leader’s eyes turned on him and Yuuri tensed. “Y-Yes?”

“I’d like you to try out for the part of the lovely young man whom the playboy falls for. So, you and JJ will be dancing together. Is that alright?”

“I…” Yuuri blinked. “A-Are you sure? JJ and I haven’t danced together yet…”

“Oh, then just do it now!” Sara said excitedly.

“Huh?”

“Perform a routine together. Something simple, that we all already know.”

Celestin nodded. “Ah, yes. Even the most simple dance can showcase impressive chemistry. Well?” He turned back to JJ, who shrugged.

“If Yuuri wants to do it, I will of course be ready.”

“Then…” He looked to Yuuri.

“I…” The Omega deflated. “I suppose we should.”

“Great!” Celestino clapped his hands. “What’s a good  _ pas de deux _ for them to do?”

“Oh, oh!” Guang-Hong waved his hands around. “Do you both know the Black Swan duet?”

“Of course!” said JJ. 

Yuuri nodded more sedately. “But why that one?”

“It’s a well-known dance, I just figured…” Guang-Hong shifted nervously, pink dusting his cheeks. “A-And I want to see Yuuri as the Black Swan. It would be exciting, wouldn’t it?”

Sara agreed. “Yeah! All we’ve seen so far of Yuuri is sweetness and longing. Not that you’re not amazing at that,” she said quickly. “But diversity is a good thing for us dancers.”

Michele, naturally, sided with his sister, and Emil quickly agreed with Michele. Seung-Gil had given a simple, ‘Just do it already,’ before shutting his mouth again, and by then, Celestino had called it.

“Alright, so you’ll do the  _ pas de deux  _ between Odile and Prince Siegfried. You have an hour to get ready. Everyone else, I have copies of  _ The Tale of the Lonely Playboy  _ in my office.”

With that, Celestino left the stage, and the other dancers dispersed to collect their copies of the new production’s story.  JJ and Yuuri remained.

“I’ll grab you both a copy, okay?” said Phichit. Yuuri replied with a thank you, and JJ waved with his ever-present grin. Once Phichit disappeared, the Alpha turned to Yuuri.

“So, Swan Lake, hm?” He rubbed his chin, contemplating. “I haven’t done that in a while. It was my first production with the Bolshoi, you know.”

Yuuri hummed, bending low to check his shoes. “It was the second production I ever saw,” he offered. “My tutor starred in it.”

“Oh?” JJ walked closer. “Minako Okukawa, right? She was a marvelous Odette, I’ve heard.”

Yuuri nodded. “Her Black Swan was just as captivating.”

“Shall we run through the steps first?”

“That sounds good. Oh,” Yuuri paused. “We don’t have a Rothbart.”

JJ waved a hand dismissively. “We can make do without one. And if not, I’m sure Celestino will do it.”

And so, they began a rudimentary practice of the choreography. Yuuri would admit, JJ was every bit as good as he liked to brag, and it annoyed him, but not as much as it would’ve a week ago. It became the norm to just ignore the Alpha when his boasting became too much (which was often), but Yuuri acknowledged that if they were paired together, then that method would quickly become a problem. 

Luckily, as they danced, they both immersed themselves in their roles. JJ was the gallant prince, and Yuuri was the imposter princess. Soon enough, the hour passed, and they both felt confident about the routine, however rushed it might have been.

Their fellow dancers settled in the theatre seats, each with varying degrees of interest on their faces. Celestino agreed to be their Rothbart, and they got into their starting positions as Emil started the music.

Celestino began in the center of the stage, moving his arms in time with the music to signal the arrival of Odile and Siegfried. JJ and Yuuri lept onto the stage in sync, before stopping just in front of each other. JJ held out a hand, his smile beaming not with arrogance, but the affection of a lovesick prince. Yuuri smiled coyly back, slipping into the mindset of a woman hell bent on deception, and began to dance, JJ following his every move.

JJ performed the lifts almost effortlessly, his hands strong and secure around Yuuri’s waist. They moved smoothly together, losing themselves in the dance.

Celestino’s presence alongside them was secondary, and the watchful stares of their colleagues were unnoticed. They continued their  _ pas de deux  _ as if they were alone, two professionals dedicated to their art.

As the song ended, Yuuri had forgotten their audience completely, and was startled when he heard a chorus of claps and cheers.

“That was amazing!” shouted Emil. 

“You only had an hour to rehearse that?” asked Michele, stunned. His sister was clapping ecstatically beside him.

“Ah, you two move so well together!” said Phichit. “You looked like a real couple!”

Yuuri smiled nervously at that as JJ moved to help him out of their final position. JJ hadn’t said a word yet, but he was smiling with self-satisfaction, as per usual. Not that Yuuri could blame him - they were fantastic.

Guang-Hong and Leo agreed with that sentiment, and Celestino nodded approvingly.

“Yes, that was impressive,” their leader said. “You two will be beautiful in  _ The Lonely Playboy.” _

“Oh, speaking of,” Phichit held out two paper copies of the story, running onstage to hand them to the dancers. “Here!”

“Read through it, and start thinking about what roles the rest of you would like to play,” instructed Celestino. “I’ll be off to speak with our choreographers.”

He turned and left, leaving his dancers to start poring over the pages of the story. Yuuri looked at his own copy and smiled; his first major production, and he’d been cast as a lead already. 

Suddenly, JJ looped an arm around Yuuri’s shoulder, nearly throwing him off balance.

“Looks like we’ll be spending a lot of time together, hm?” he winked down at the Omega. “Lucky you!”

Yuuri fought off a grimace. 

A shame that this was his leading Alpha.

 

* * *

 

Unfortunately, as Yuuri prepared to leave, JJ caught him at the door.

“Yuuri! Hey, let’s go out!”

Yuuri froze, staring at JJ with shock. “I’m sorry,  _ what?” _

“I mean, let’s go out and get something to eat,” JJ corrected, amused by Yuuri’s reaction. The Omega still regarded him warily, so he explained, “We’re partners now, we should get to know each other. What better way to do that than over a nice meal?”

“I…” Yuuri moved uncomfortably. “I don’t know… It’s kind of late.”

“Do you have a curfew?”

“Not exactly…”

“Then it’ll be fine! And if you’re really worried, I’ll escort you home!”

“That’s not what I - hey!”

JJ looped an arm through Yuuri’s and began leading him out. Yuuri’s face burned with mortification, more than aware of their colleagues’ stares burning into their backs.

His protests went unheeded as JJ hailed a cab, and by the midpoint of the ride, Yuuri gave up. 

They stopped at a small cafe downtown, and JJ led him inside. Yuuri took in the decor appreciatively - it was small, yes, but definitely cozy, almost like someone’s family room. Several people were seated here and there, eating their own meals. The smell of food and coffee wafted through the air, and Yuuri’s stomach growled eagerly.

Yuuri blushed, but all JJ did was smile.

“They have the best pasta here,” he said, bringing Yuuri to a table by the window. They both sat down, and almost immediately, a young girl came out to take their order. She had dark hair and familiar eyes, but Yuuri couldn’t quite place her.

“Oh, JJ!” she smiled at the Alpha. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Yuuri, my new partner at the Bolshoi.” JJ gestured to Yuuri, who waved sheepishly. “Yuuri, this is my little sister, Emma.”

“O-Oh, it’s nice to meet you,” said Yuuri, stunned.

Emma giggled. “He’s cute. I approve.”

“Hey, now,” JJ said teasingly. “Just take our order, or I’m telling Mom you’re slacking off.”

“Yeah, yeah. The usual for you, then?” JJ nodded, so she turned to Yuuri. “And you?”

“I, uh… I heard the pasta was good?”

Emma beamed. “Okay! Coming right up!”

They watched as she trounced back to the kitchen.

“Is this your family’s restaurant?” asked Yuuri, curious. Why had JJ taken him  _ here? _

JJ nodded. “We’ve had this place since I was a kid. I was going to work here, originally, but then I discovered dance.” He sighed dramatically. “My father still mourns the loss to this day.”

In spite of himself, Yuuri chuckled at that. “Does he? And your mother?”

“Oh, she can’t say anything about it - she was the one who introduced me to dancing!” JJ’s expression was almost the same as his usual arrogant self, but it was tinged with something softer. More genuine.

Yuuri smiled. “Do you take all your dancing partners here?”

“I try to,” he shrugged. “I think it’s important for partners to know each other, you know? But, my last one, the one who quit? He absolutely refused to go anywhere with me.” JJ sighed. “I don’t really get it. I mean, I know I can be… How did Phichit put it? Vexatious and and off-putting?”

“Phichit said that?” gasped Yuuri. Phichit seemed too sweet to ever say such a thing.

“Oh, he said it as a joke, mostly. But Phichit is brutally honest, even when joking,” explained the Alpha. He was laughing, too. “Besides, I can admit it. A great man must always admit his faults.”

“Well…” Yuuri shifted in his chair. “I guess that’s one way of seeing it.” At least JJ was aware of his behavior.

“What about you?” he asked abruptly. “What inspired you to dance?”

“Oh, I… I saw Cinderella at the Bolshoi when I was a kid.” Yuuri smiled at the memory. “I kind of fell in love with it all, so I asked my parents if I could learn. The family we work for, their matriarch was a former prima with the Bolshoi, so she was happy to encourage me.”

“A former prima, huh?” JJ whistled. “You sure have a lot of connections. What’s the family?”

“The Nikiforovs. Although, she danced under the name ‘Baranovskaya’ before she got married.”

JJ’s eyes went wide. “Damn.  _ Lilia  _ Baranovskaya? She’s a legend! I remember my mom telling me she cried when she announced her retirement.”

Yuuri huffed out a laugh. “Well, she retired to raise her family. And I happen to love her family, so.”

“Fair enough. I’m not an Omega, so I can’t say I’d do the same under the right circumstances… What about you?”

“I’m prioritizing my dancing career right now,” he answered. 

“So, no one’s courting you? I find that hard to believe.”

Yuuri shrugged, frowning. “There are a few… interested parties. But the feeling isn’t mutual.” And none of them are Victor, his mind added. He looked at JJ. “And that’s not an invitation to try, either.”

JJ held up his hands in surrender. “Well, there goes that plan,” he laughed. “But really, I wasn’t going to.”

“Good,” Yuuri said dubiously. Then, after a few seconds. “... Why?”

“You’re beautiful, Yuuri, don’t get me wrong. But you’re not my type.”

“Oh?” Yuuri smirked. “And what’s your type, exactly? Your sister approves of me.”

“Well, you’re  _ her  _ type,” he replied blandly. “And my mom’s, and my dad’s… Probably my brother’s, too. But not mine.”

Yuuri tilted his head. “Now you’ve got me really curious.”

“No, no,” JJ waved his hand. “I’m not telling you. Not unless you tell me  _ your  _ type.”

“I - !” Yuuri pinked, then went silent.

“There, see? Not so easy to be forthcoming, is it?”

Yuuri pouted as JJ laughed. “You’re a jerk, you know? Getting me all intrigued like that.”

“I’m sorry,” he said. It at least sounded genuine. “Hopefully the food will make up for it.”

As if cued, Emma emerged from the back, two plates balanced on a large tray. She sauntered up to them and served their meals, before winking at her brother and turning back. JJ shrugged helplessly when Yuuri sent him a questioning look.

Yuuri shook his head with a smile, and picked up his fork.

Maybe JJ wasn’t that bad.

 

* * *

 

True to his word, JJ escorted him home, despite Yuuri’s half-hearted complaints that he could manage just fine on his own. Really, JJ’s insistence was almost endearing now.

He walked Yuuri right up to the servants’ entrance, and waited patiently for Yuuri to unlock the door. Once he’d done so, JJ stepped back, giving the Omega a mock salute.

“Well, I’ll see you tomorrow!” he said, turning to leave. 

Yuuri smiled at his retreating form. “See you!” he called out.

He stepped inside the manor and peeled off his jacket, still smiling absently as he made his way to his room. He didn’t get very far, however, before Mari suddenly appeared.

“Who was  _ that?”  _ asked his sister, making Yuuri jump at her unexpected presence.

“M-Mari! Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

“Sorry,” she said flippantly, not sorry at all. “But seriously, you bring a handsome man like  _ that  _ to our door and you don’t even invite him in? For shame, Yuuri.”

“H-How did you even see us?”

“The window. Now come on, spill! Who is he?”

Yuuri sighed. “That was JJ. You know, from the Bolshoi.”

Mari’s eyes bulged. “ _ Annoying  _ JJ? What were you doing with  _ him?  _ I thought you hated him.”

“Hate is a strong word, Mari. I just…” Yuuri rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. “I judged him too harshly without getting to know him. He comes on a little strong, but he’s a nice person.”

“Oh… So…” Mari raised an eyebrow, lips quirking up, and Yuuri rolled his eyes.

“We’re just friends, Mari. Actually, we’ll be dancing partners from now on, too.”

“Huh. Good.” Mari slung her arm around Yuuri’s shoulder and grinned at him. “I was starting to worry maybe you’d forgotten about your precious Vitya!”

Yuuri huffed, “Like I could. I haven’t seen him at all in the past week and it’s been driving me crazy.”

“He’s a busy guy,” shrugged his sister. “I’m sure you’ll talk again soon.”

“Hopefully…” Yuuri yawned. “I’m tired. I’m going to bed.  _ Oyasumi. _ ” He stepped out of his sister’s embrace and started walking again towards his room.

_ “Oyasumi,”  _ he heard her say back.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had to split this chapter in two, because it was getting too long otherwise. But y'all can look forward to more Jealous!Victor in the next one! Yay!
> 
> Anyway, : [here's the dance JJ and Yuuri performed.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p21n1xorjEs)  
> I have a great fondness for Swan Lake. Mostly because of the Barbie movie lol


	8. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> JJ is a good friend, and Victor gets jealous as hell, even though he's still confused as to why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I wanna write an A/B/O fic!  
> Also me: (forgets to include anything about bonding, heats, ruts, and other such genre standards)
> 
> So yeah, I’ve been taking huge liberties with the genre, hope you guys don’t mind. oo;; Though heats do get a brief explanation here.
> 
> Also I’ve changed the rating to T, since the smut I’m planning will really only be the final chapter ahaha

* * *

 

 

Victor ran a hand down his face, exhausted. Beside him, his father was listening intently to another member of the parliament drone on, though about what, Victor couldn’t say. He supposed he should appreciate Yakov’s skill more; how he could listen to it all, boredom never betrayed on his face, continued to amaze him. 

Still, Victor rested his chin on his palm and did his best to pay attention. This was likely going to be his future, he thought dully. Meetings and paperwork and ‘keeping up the prestigious Nikiforov family name’, as his father would say. Victor didn’t  _ enjoy  _ it, exactly, but anything was better than being home at the moment.

Because Yuuri was at home, and he couldn’t face him, not now.

Ever since he’d nearly kissed the Omega that fateful night, Victor’s thoughts had been consumed by his childhood friend. The way he moved, the way he laughed and smiled, not to mention the clear affection in his eyes as he looked at Victor. 

He’d never realized how much he  _ loved  _ the attention from Yuuri - he’d gotten so much of it during their youth that it just seemed to be another constant in Victor’s life, alongside his meddlesome siblings and his father’s expectations.

Then Yuuri had gone away, and truth be told, Victor didn’t notice the absence of his attention until he’d come back. But,  _ oh,  _ the difference had been significant. Yuuri’s regard wasn’t false praise, like some of Yakov’s colleagues, nor was it the fond exasperation of the rest of Victor’s family. It was earnest and pure, and genuinely made Victor feel like he was doing something worthy of it. 

Yet, it wasn’t  _ quite  _ the same as their childhood. Instead of innocent admiration, Yuuri’s attention was laced with something far more dangerous:  _ intent.  _ Yuuri wanted something from Victor, and whether or not that was a good thing was something he hadn’t allowed himself to think about just yet. 

“Victor?” A fuzzy voice called, Victor barely registering it in his head. Then, more insistently, it called out again. “ _ Victor!” _

“What?” Victor blinked, turning his head to see Yakov glaring at him. 

His father sighed. “The meeting is over. Did you pay attention to any of it?”

“Oh…” Victor looked around, and saw that indeed, the floor was clearing out. Only he and Yakov were still seated. He smiled sheepishly. “Not really?”

Yakov shook his head. “What am I going to do with you, Vitya?”

“Sorry,” he winced. “I’ve just been… thinking about some things.”

“What sort of things?” Yakov raised a brow. 

“Just… things,” he replied evasively. “Anyway, you’ve always known that I don’t have a head for politics. If anyone, Yurio would be better suited. He actually studies this stuff.”

“Yura is too young still,” grunted Yakov. “Besides,  _ you’re  _ the heir to the estate,  _ you - !” _

“Should be the one to carry on the family legacy,” Victor repeated, bored. “I know. I’ll do better next time, Papa, I promise.”

Yakov gave him a considering look. “See that you do,” he said, after a moment.

They collected their things and exited the room, the sun already setting as they left the parliament building. They piled into their car, and silence reigned for most of the ride, until Yakov spoke up again.

“So, Vitya. I know we’ve talked about it before, but concerning your marital status - !”

Victor automatically groaned. “God,  _ please,  _ Papa, can we not do this right now?”

“You’re twenty-seven,” Yakov said sternly. “Most of your peers are courting, if not already married.”

“And?”

“ _ And  _ it would give your mother and I some comfort, at least, if we knew that you had someone to care for. A nice Omega, or even a Beta. We wouldn’t mind.”

Victor sighed, brushing his fringe out of his face. “Why do you only ever give  _ me  _ these talks?”

“You’re the only one who needs them,” his father retorted. “Your siblings are already further along than you. Georgi has that girl, what’s her name again? Annie?”

“Anya,” Victor corrected. “And she breaks up with him every other week. You’re saying I should follow  _ that  _ example?”

Yakov grimaced. “Mila has had suitors,” he tried.

“None that lasted more than a month,” he bit back. “And Yurio is too young for courting.”

“Well, we agree on that, at least.” Yakov crossed his arms over his chest. “I just don’t understand why you don’t put yourself out there, Vitya. Even Yuuri has that partner of his, uh... Jean-Jacques, yes, that’s it. ”

Victor froze. He stared at his father with wide eyes. “What?”

“His partner at the Bolshoi?” Yakov repeated, brow furrowing. “I’ve never met him, but Toshiya says they’ve been spending a lot of time together in preparation for their new production. Mari claims he’s quite a handsome young Alpha.” At Victor’s bewildered gaze, Yakov frowned. “Didn’t Yuuri tell you about him?”

“... Sort of,” he admitted. Mostly when he complained about him, but that was well over a month ago. Could Yuuri have changed his mind? “We haven’t really had the chance to talk lately.”

“Well, maybe you should,” said Yakov. “That boy was always better at talking sense into you. When he wasn’t fawning over everything you did, anyway.”

Victor hummed noncommittally, and Yakov seemed content to let the subject drop, to his relief. He turned and stared out the car window, watching the snow-covered city speed by. His chest felt tight, and he itched with the need to find Yuuri right away. But for what? To interrogate him about his apparent change of heart regarding JJ? That wasn’t really any of Victor’s business.

It still kind of pissed him off, though.

 

* * *

 

The choreography for  _ The Tale of the Lonely Playboy  _ was nearing completion. The main dances had already been planned, and all of the principle roles had been cast.

Of course, JJ and Yuuri would be the Playboy and the Nobleman, the two leads. Sara was cast as the Nobleman’s cousin, who falls for the Playboy first, but in the end marries Seung-Gil’s character. Emil and Phichit were playing the Playboy’s best friends, and Michele had taken the part of the Nobleman’s protective guardian. Leo and Guang-Hong, along with some of the other dancers in their troupe, had smaller roles as partygoers and observers.

Yuuri found himself immensely excited for this production - for one thing, the choreography Celestino showed them was  _ exciting.  _ His character would start off demure and teasing, but eventually evolve into a sensual creature that was capable of sweeping the Playboy off his feet. His second  _ pas de deux  _ with JJ was an enticing piece; after they’d gone through it in rehearsals, Emil had fanned himself and claimed that the audience would be seduced right alongside the Playboy.

For another thing, he found that he genuinely enjoyed working with JJ. After their outing to his family’s restaurant, Yuuri had begun treating JJ differently. He responded to his boastings with a fond smile instead of simply turning away, and he’d even started teasing JJ when he got to be a bit too much. JJ, in turn, had actually toned down his arrogant behavior. Most of the time, when he was rehearsing in earnest, he was just grinning and joking around.

It made the overall experience at the Bolshoi a happy one, and Yuuri was excited to come into work everyday.

“Hey, Yuuri,” JJ came up to him after rehearsals wrapped up. He was dabbing at his forehead with a towel, errant beads of sweat rolling down his temple. “Did that fourth lift feel off to you?”

Yuuri hummed, pursing his lips. “Now that you mention it… Yeah. Your grip loosened a bit.”

JJ frowned. “Ah, I knew it. Sorry.”

“It’s fine, it’s not like you actually dropped me,” Yuuri smiled. “Besides, it’s the lift at the very end of the routine. Of course you’d be a little tired.”

“A  _ little,”  _ JJ repeated, as if he were amused. “You would say that. Your stamina is unbelievable. You must be impossible during your heat.”

Yuuri laughed at that. “Well, I wouldn’t know. It hasn’t happened yet for me.”

“Oh.” JJ blinked. “Sorry, I just thought…”

“Most Alphas do,” Yuuri shrugged. “They think a heat just happens like puberty, but that’s not it at all.”

“Huh. Well, I’m curious, but that’s not really a polite topic, is it?”

“No it is not,” Yuuri replied, grateful that JJ was dropping it. 

He remembered Minako sitting him down at the tender age of sixteen, and explaining  _ exactly  _ what would happen when he had his first heat. Yuuri had been so thoroughly embarrassed he couldn’t look her in the eye for a few days afterwards. Luckily, his first heat would only be triggered by his bonding with an Alpha, and then after that, there would be regular cycles that he could anticipate and plan.

As a teenager, he’d fantasized about having his first heat with Victor, of course. The Alpha would be sweet and helpful, easing him through the experience with gentle hands and passionate kisses.

Now, though. Yuuri still wanted to share that with Victor, but he got the feeling that he would be just as inexperienced as he was. Probably even moreso, given his lack of interest in courtship over the past few years. Yuuri would figure it out, though first he still had to woo Victor.

“Anyway,” JJ was saying, snapping Yuuri out of his reverie. “Do you think we can talk to Celestino and get some extra practice hours in? They’ll be renovating the stage for the production, but I’m sure we can use one of the old studios downstairs.”

“We don’t have to,” Yuuri said. “There’s a studio at the manor I live in. Miss Lilia lets me use it whenever I need to, I’m sure she won’t mind if I invite you along.”

“Really?” JJ brightened. “That’d be great! How soon can you get this arranged?”

“We can do it now,” suggested Yuuri. “Or at least, you can see the studio for yourself and used to it.”

JJ agreed enthusiastically, and after they’d cleaned up a bit, they headed out the door together.

“Oh!” Phichit’s sudden voice stopped them just before they could leave, however. They both turned and saw the Beta dancer watching them with an intrigued expression, though something else lingered in his eyes that Yuuri couldn’t place. “Are you two going on another date?”

“No,” JJ said quickly. Very quickly. “I’m just going to check out the studio at Yuuri’ house.”

“It’s not my house,” Yuuri corrected automatically. “But yes, we’re just going to practice a bit more.”

“By yourselves?” Phichit continued. 

“Do you want to come?” JJ asked. He watched Phichit carefully, and the younger dancer stared back, glancing quickly at Yuuri. But finally, he just smiled and shook his head.

“No thanks,” he said in his usual cheerful tone. “I’m going out to eat with Leo and Guang-Hong. But you two have fun! And behave yourselves!”

“Phichit!” Yuuri scolded, but the Beta was already gleefully running away. Yuuri sighed and turned to JJ, who was staring after Phichit with a puzzled expression. “Am I ever going to get used to him?” he asked.

“Nope,” JJ replied, popping the ‘p’ for extra emphasis. “I’ve known him for two years now and  _ I’m  _ still not used to him.”

They looked at each other, then Yuuri let out a fond chuckle.

“Let’s go.”

They took a cab to the manor, and once they arrived, Yuuri led JJ in and to the studio. So far, the house seemed empty. Yuuri recalled that Mila was at a party on the other side of the city, and Georgi was out with his Omega girlfriend, Anya. Yuri might’ve been home, but the teen preferred to stay holed up in either his bedroom or the sitting room. And Victor and Yakov, of course, were likely still out on business.

Lilia was the only one who made her presence known, and they ran into her just before reaching the studio. She regarded JJ with suspicious eyes.

“This is your partner, Yuuri?” she asked, face impassive.

JJ bowed, giving the former prima his most charming grin. “Jean-Jacques Leroy, Madam. It’s an honor to meet you; my mother is a big fan of your work.”

Lilia merely cocked an eyebrow. “Delighted,” she drawled back. “I assume you’re here to use the studio?”

“If that’s alright, Miss Lilia?” Yuuri asked, cautious.

“Of course. You know I will do my utmost to support your career, Yuuri,” she said, making the younger Omega blush and duck his head. JJ smiled at the scene. “Go right ahead.”

“Alright. Thank you, Miss Lilia.” Yuuri bowed towards her, and then pulled JJ along inside the studio.

“Wow,” JJ said, once Lilia was out of hearing range. “Is she always so… formal?”

Yuuri laughed, shaking his head. “Just around strangers. Give it some time, you’ll eventually get under her skin.”

“If you say so…” JJ walked further into the studio, marveling appreciatively at the size of it. “Man, this is impressive. No wonder you’re such a good dancer, if you got to grow up here.”

“I technically grew up all over the world,” he smiled. “But yes, I did spend a lot of time here, too.”

JJ stuck his tongue out at him. “Look at you, Mr. Fancy Omega. Rubbing your worldly experience and talent in my face.”

Yuuri walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder. “You’ll get over it. Now, let’s get started.”

 

* * *

 

The only thing Victor wanted to do as soon as he got home was dive under his covers and sleep. The combined boredom and exhaustion of the day seemed to hit him in a massive wave the moment he stepped past the doorway of the manor.

Just as he was about to yawn, he saw his mother enter the atrium.

“Oh, you’re home early,” she said, blinking in surprise. Still, she walked over and gave Victor his usual kiss on the cheek to welcome him home, and then moved to do the same for her husband. 

“One of the speakers didn’t show up today,” explained Yakov gruffly. “How was your day, dear?”

Victor began to move quietly towards his bedroom as his mother went on about Yuri’s anti-social tendencies, when she said something else that made him pause.

“Ah, and I’ve finally met Yuuri’s partner. They’re both practicing in the studio right now.”

Yakov made an interested noise, and neither of them noticed the way Victor had whipped around to listen to the conversation.

“Mari says he’s handsome. Is he?”

Victor leaned in further, but Lilia only shrugged. “He seems attractive enough. Why do you ask?”

“Oh, no reason,” Yakov said, in a tone that implied there most definitely  _ was  _ a reason. “I’m just glad Yuuri was quick to make friends upon his return.”

Lilia stuck her nose up. “It’s no surprise. Dancers often bond quickly with each other.”

“Of course, dear.”

Victor scowled, and before he could think better of it, he whirled around and changed course, heading for the studio rather than his room. His parents didn’t see him storm off, thankfully.

There was no music playing as he neared the studio, which was unusual, and he almost thought that perhaps Yuuri and JJ had gone off somewhere else - but as he opened the door and peered inside, he saw that that wasn’t the case.

Yuuri and JJ  _ were  _ inside the studio, and they were… well, they were dancing together.

To no music, granted, but it seemed that the two of them already knew the music by heart, judging by the way they moved, as if the song was playing in their heads. Yuuri spun into JJ’s arms, the taller man catching him around the waist and lifting him into the air - Yuuri touched down a few moments later, and turned to brush his hand teasingly against JJ’s cheek. He gave the Alpha an alluring smirk, and JJ smiled back at him, expression completely enamored. There was no denying that they made a handsome couple.

Ice crawled up Victor’s gut again, but he couldn’t will himself to take a step forwards and make his presence known. It felt like his feet were rooted to the floor. 

Luckily, it wasn’t long before he was noticed. Yuuri began a pirouette, only to stop short when he spotted Victor by the door. The Omega yelped in surprise, stumbling backwards, but just as Victor’s feet finally moved, JJ already had his arms under Yuuri, keeping him from falling to the floor.

“Whoa!” The Alpha gently eased Yuuri back on his feet. “You alright?”

“I- yeah,” Yuuri said quickly. He hadn’t taken his eyes off Victor. “Vitya... You’re back early.”

Victor stared at them. “Yes…”

“Vitya?” JJ repeated, looking over Victor curiously. Suddenly, recognition dawned in his eyes. “Oh! That’s the famous Victor, isn’t it?” He disengaged his arms from Yuuri (to Victor’s relief) and made his way over, sticking out a hand for Victor to shake. “It’s nice to finally meet you! I’m - !”

“Jean-Jacques, yes, I know,” he replied shortly, giving JJ’s hand a quick shake before letting it drop. “Yuuri’s dancing partner.”

JJ blinked, but whatever confusion he felt was quickly replaced with another grin. Yuuri walked up to them, his teeth worrying at his bottom lip. Victor’s eyes were riveted to the sight.

“Did you need something, Vitya?” he asked.

“I… Ah, no. Mama said you were here, so I…” Victor coughed into his hand. “Sorry, was I interrupting…?”

“Oh, no,” answered JJ. “Yuuri just invited me over so we could practice our lifts some more. I can’t be dropping him onstage, after all.”

JJ laughed, and to Victor’s bewilderment, Yuuri smiled, too. 

He swallowed uncomfortably and took a step back. “Well, I should probably let you get back to it, then…”

Yuuri’s face became confused. “Vitya?”

“Excuse me,” he muttered, turning on his heel and walking out of the studio. He hurried through the hallways, not stopping until he reached his bedroom. He fell back against the door, eyes wide and heart pounding.

What the  _ hell? _

 

* * *

 

“That was… interesting,” said JJ, as both he and Yuuri stared at the place Victor had previously occupied. He looked back at Yuuri. “Is he normally that… I don’t know what that was. Shy…?”

“No,” Yuuri shook his head. “I don’t know what that was either… Something must be bothering him.”

JJ considered him; Yuuri looked incredibly concerned, his eyes never leaving the door of the studio, which Victor had left wide open in his hurry to leave. 

“I’ve been wondering this for a while,” the Alpha began. “This Victor. Are you in love with him?”

Yuuri blinked, his gaze shifting over to JJ. He looked… no, stunned wasn’t the right word for it. More like… resigned. He gave JJ a small smile.

“What makes you say that?”

JJ huffed. “Well, you talk about him a lot. But seeing the way you were looking at him just now… That was just blatant.”

Yuuri sighed. “Don’t worry about it, JJ. Let’s just… get back to practicing.”

“Hey, come on. Partners, remember? If something’s bothering you, you should let me know.”

“What about  _ you _ ?” Yuuri deflected, narrowing his eyes accusingly at his partner. “You never told me your ‘type’.”

JJ was quiet, and Yuuri turned away, shaking his head.

“I thought so. Let’s start from the top - !”

“It’s Phichit,” JJ said.

Yuuri paused. “What?”

“I’m in love with Phichit.”

Yuuri turned back around, looking at JJ with shock. The Alpha shrugged, his eyes on the floor.

“But, he’s a Beta,” he continued. “Everyone else in my family is a Beta - Mom, Dad, my siblings. They want me to have the proper Alpha experience and settle down with a nice Omega, like you. Not that I think they’d hate Phichit or anything,” he said quickly, “But they just come on so strong with what they want for me…”

“JJ…” Yuuri stepped forward. “How long…?”

“Since about a week after I met him,” he laughed weakly. “It doesn’t matter. He doesn’t see me that way.”

“How do you know that?”

“I asked him out once, he turned me down,” JJ said simply. “I thought being rejected would help me get over it, but… That was two years ago.”

Yuuri opened his mouth, then closed it, unsure of what else to say. Seconds of silence stretched between them, eventually becoming a minute, and at that point, Yuuri sighed.

“I’ve been in love with Victor since we were kids. And when I got back, the only thing I wanted, besides dancing for the Bolshoi, was for him to love me back. But now he hardly even talks to me, and I think it’s because I made him uncomfortable.”

JJ put a hand on his shoulder, making Yuuri look up into his eyes. He smiled softly. “There. That wasn’t so hard, now was it?”

Yuuri scoffed, shoving JJ’s chest playfully. “Jerk.”

“All part of my style,” he beamed. “I think we should call it quits on practice today, though.”

“Yeah… That’s probably for the best.”

Yuuri waited for JJ to gather his things, then he walked with the Alpha to the front door. He bid the taller man goodnight, and shut the door as soon as JJ made it to the gates.

He stared at the wood grain on the door in sullen silence for a few moments, before a voice behind him startled him out of his trance.

“When did you get so friendly with him?”

Yuuri whirled around to see Victor’s frowning face not four feet away. “V-Vitya!”

“I thought you didn’t like him?” Victor pressed on, taking a step closer.

“I… That was before I got to know him,” Yuuri answered uneasily. But he soon straightened his back and adopted a more composed demeanor. “He’s really not that bad. He’s actually very sweet.”

Something in Victor’s expression flickered, but it was gone before Yuuri could identify it. 

“Yuuri?” he said, after a moment. 

“Y-Yeah?”

Victor looked him in the eye, ice blue to warm brown. “Tomorrow, are you busy?”

“I... No, not as far as I know… There’s no rehearsal tomorrow, anyway.”

“Okay,” Victor nodded. “Let’s go out.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “What?”

Victor finally looked away, looking a tad embarrassed as pink dusted across his cheeks. “G-Georgi recommended this restaurant to me the other day… Said Anya loved it. So, I thought, maybe we should go. We haven’t talked in a while…”

Yuuri stared at him, not believing his ears. Was Victor really asking him first, and not the other way around?

He must have been staring for too long, for Victor’s gaze returned to him, uncertainty swimming in his eyes. 

“Yuuri?” he asked again.

Yuuri snapped out of his daze and let out a short sigh. He smiled up at the Alpha.

“I’d love to, Vitya.”

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Urgh. The final part of this chapter was really hard to get out for some reason. 
> 
> The next chapter should be easier, if shorter; it's pretty much exclusively Yuuri and Victor's date.
> 
> (also sorry if JJChuChu isn't your cup of tea, but I think it's really cute and I was planning on including it from the beginning, sooo...)


	9. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yet another date, with a little surprise at the end...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! I just realized that we’ve passed 1000 kudos and 100 comments! Thank you guys so much! I’d respond to each comment individually (and I did try at the beginning oo; ) but I always put it off for later, and then I’m like ‘well I can’t respond now, it’s way too late, it’ll be weird’. 
> 
> Is that weird? Idk, anyway, thank you guys again! I'm honestly such a slut for your reviews; you guys make me smile!!
> 
> Anyway, haha, you might have noticed I’m just taking names from the OST for certain locations. Chris’s bar is named Rapsodie for “Rapsodie Espagnole”, and the restaurant they're going to this chapter is named Aria, from “Aria (Stammi Vicino, Non Te Ne Andare)”, etc. etc. I also decided that JJ’s family’s restaurant is called Partizan, from “Partizan Hope”. I almost named Chris's bar Intoxication, but that seemed a little on the nose for a bar, lmao

* * *

 

Victor was the first to be ready this time, already dressed and waiting downstairs by the front door for Yuuri a good ten minutes before they agreed to leave. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, and adjusted the lapels of his formal jacket for what must have been the twentieth time that night. 

A few minutes passed, when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the servants’ wing. Victor turned his head, seeing Yuuri walk towards him, and his lips parted in surprise.

Yuuri, once again, looked  _ stunning _ . His dinner jacket was midnight blue and form-fitting, hugging the Omega’s curves in all the right places. Several small gems embellished the lapels and shoulders, and an embroidered design around his hips. He wore plain black trousers and dress shoes, but they complimented his jacket’s elegance quite well.

Yuuri smiled gently at Victor as he walked closer, and Victor noticed that his lips were once again glistening with balm.

“Yuuri,” he greeted, breathless. “You look incredible.”

To his delight, Yuuri’s cheeks flushed, and he looked momentarily surprised, before his expression shifted to a beatific smile.

“Thank you, Vitya. You look quite handsome, yourself.”

Victor preened and thanked him, pointedly not mentioning the hour it took for him to settle on his own clothes; he had to resort to asking Yuri for advice, at which point his youngest brother had pointed a finger at the nearest outfit and promptly stormed out of his room, muttering ‘idiot’ as he did so.

Victor waited for Yuuri to pull on his coat before he held open the door for him, and soon they were out of the house and in a cab.

“So, where are we going?” asked Yuuri, though he was watching the window instead of Victor. The city at night, combined with the snow, had a gorgeous view. 

“It’s called  _ Aria,”  _ Victor replied. “It just opened a few months ago, but I’ve heard it’s marvellous.”

Yuuri hummed, finally looking away from the window to face Victor. He was smiling gently - Victor could feel his heartbeat speed up as the Omega leaned in closer.

“Vitya?”

“Y-Yes?”

“Are you… I mean, have you been feeling alright?”

Victor frowned. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just… You’ve been so distant, lately. I thought something was bothering you…” Yuuri trailed off, eyes dropping to his lap, where his hands were clasped nervously together.

“Ah, no!” Victor said hurriedly. “I’ve just been busy. Papa insists on turning me into his successor, after all. I promise, nothing’s wrong.”

“Really?” Yuuri looked back up. “Because I thought maybe it was my fault…”

“W-What? Why would it be your fault?”

“Ever since that night, at  _ Rapsodie,  _ you… You acted differently around me.” Yuuri twiddled his thumbs. “You haven’t even looked me in the eye until yesterday.”

“Oh…” Victor gulped. “That was just…” The Alpha floundered for a moment, before sighing and running a hand through his fringe. Yuuri was watching him carefully. “You want me to be honest?” he asked quietly.

“Of course,” Yuuri responded. 

“It’s… It’s still a surprise, seeing you. You were gone for so long, I didn’t know what to expect when I heard you were coming home. And then, you got here, and I… I still don’t know how to handle it.”

Yuuri edged closer. “I don’t understand.”

“You’re so… different.” Victor smiled tiredly. “Not in a bad way, mind you, but definitely different. For one, I hardly even recognized you. You’re so grown-up now…”

He hadn’t even realized that he’d raised his hand until he felt himself push a stray thread of Yuuri’s ink-black hair out of his face. The Omega pinked, his pupils dilating, and Victor quickly snatched his hand back.

“Vitya?” he whispered - Victor had to bite back a growl at how utterly delicious it sounded.

“A-Anyway, at  _ Rapsodie  _ I realized how grown up you really were, and I guess it… confused me. I suppose I just ran away to avoid thinking about it, but I know that isn’t fair to you. So, no more running away.”

Victor risked looking back at Yuuri, and saw that the younger man was gazing softly back at him, his expression thoughtful.

“Do you promise?” the Omega asked.

Victor nodded, and before he could think better of it, he reached down and closed his hand around Yuuri’s, which were still clasped together. He felt the warmth emanating from the Omega’s skin and allowed himself to indulge in it - it felt  _ right. _

“I promise, _zvyozdochka.”_

 

* * *

 

_ Aria  _ looked as classy as he’d heard - the overall design was sleek and sophisticated, and the restaurant glowed under a dim light that bordered on sensual. It was also almost full of patrons by the time Victor and Yuuri arrived - lucky for them, the waiter had heard the name “Nikiforov” and ushered them to a nice table right away.

Victor stared at the way the table was set; two place settings, a vase with a single red rose, and two lit candles? It looked so… romantic. And really, it was just him and Yuuri, alone at a fancy restaurant, having a  _ candlelit  _ dinner… Now that he thought about it, this seemed an  _ awful _ lot like a date.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and looked to Yuuri, who was too busy browsing the menu the waiter had given them to notice Victor’s flustered state. 

Glancing down at his own menu, Victor’s mind wandered to their previous two outings - had they been vaguely date-like? Going around town and then skating together, maybe. Going out to a bar and fending off leering suitors, and then almost kissing him at the end of the night? More than maybe.

‘Oh, god,’ Victor thought suddenly. ‘Have I been dating Yuuri this whole time?’

He buried his face in his own menu, desperate to hide his blush from the world. The idea itself wasn’t so off-putting. In fact, he found himself a bit warmed at the prospect of courting Yuuri; he imagined doing it properly, with flowers and gifts, and all the wonderful things a lovely Omega like Yuuri deserved. Victor could do that. He…

He  _ wanted  _ to do that.

“Victor?”

Yuuri’s gentle voice snapped him back to attention, and he looked up to see the younger man and, surprisingly, the waiter, who were both looking at him expectantly.

“What?” he asked.

“Your… order, sir?” said the waiter, whose frown deepened at Victor’s obvious confusion.

Victor blinked. How long had he just been sitting there, pretending to browse the menu? He honestly hadn’t read a word of it.

He glanced at an item and said it to the waiter, not really caring if he knew what it was or not. It was probably going to be delicious, anyway, at such a high-class place. The waiter wrote down their orders, collected their menus, and walked away, promising them a short wait before their food arrived.

This left the two of them completely alone, and with no menu to hide behind, Victor’s eyes subconsciously drifted towards Yuuri. The Omega was staring right back at him.

“So - !”

“Yuuri - !”

They spoke at the same time, and both quickly closed their mouths, embarrassed. Victor gestured for Yuuri to go ahead.

“I was just going to ask, what have you been up to lately?” The Omega gave a small smile. “Like you mentioned before, it’s been awhile since we last talked.”

“Ah,” Victor smiled, feeling tension he didn’t even know he was holding going out of his shoulders. “Nothing too interesting, really. Just Papa dragging me to Parliament meetings, paperwork, you know.”

Yuuri grimaced, to Victor’s amusement. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d do…”

“Well, I tried telling him that,” the Alpha shrugged. “But I’m just about his only option. Georgi’s writing has been doing pretty well, Mila’s probably going to be a socialite like Mama, and Yurio’s too young to start thinking seriously about his future. Besides, I’m the oldest. It’s my duty,” he spoke the last part listlessly. He’d repeated it to himself many times, and ot his own ears, it sounded hollow.

It must have sounded so to Yuuri, too. “That’s not fair and you know it, Vitya,” he said disapprovingly.

“Maybe,” he acquiesced. “But unless Yurio goes and decides that he wants to take Papa’s place, I’m his first option. I’m not going to force one of my brothers to make such an important decision so quickly.”

“I’m not saying you should,” Yuuri replied, “but have you ever thought about what you’d like to do? For yourself? If you didn’t have to follow Yakov’s footsteps, what would you do?”

Victor frowned, considering the idea. Truthfully, no, it wasn’t something he’d given much thought to. He’d been training under his father for so long he didn’t even stop to think that he could do anything else. 

“Honestly… I’m not sure,” he answered.

“Come on, there’s nothing?” Yuuri pouted, and Victor was momentarily distracted by his shining bottom lip before he spoke again. “What about your hobbies? Skating, maybe?”

Victor laughed. “I’m a bit too old to consider a career in  _ that.  _ Maybe in another life.”

“Hmm…” Yuuri looked frustrated, and his face scrunched up in concentration. Victor smiled, resting his elbow on the table so he could put his chin in his palm and observe him.

“Why do you care so much?” he asked.

“Well, I’m worried about you,” Yuuri replied, no hesitation at all. “I want you to be happy, Vitya.”

The way he’d said it, so earnestly… Victor’s heart stuttered in its rhythm.

“Y-Yuuri… That’s very sweet of you.”

Yuuri’s lips quirked up in a smile. “There’s really nothing you can think of that you’d rather be doing?”

“Well…” Victor averted his gaze, looking at the single red rose on the table instead. “... A while ago, Chris and I talked about starting a business together.”

Yuuri’s eyes brightened. “Really?”

“It wasn’t like we started drawing up plans or anything,” Victor quickly demurred, “It was just an idea. He loves his family’s bar, but he wanted to do something of his own. And, well, I’ve always liked the idea of owning a place like that.”

“What kind of business would it be?” Yuuri asked, leaning forward in his seat.

“We weren’t really sure. Maybe a shop? Chris is really into fashion,” Victor answered, smiling at Yuuri’s obvious enthusiasm. “But like I said, this was a while ago.”

“You shouldn’t just dismiss it like that,” said Yuuri. “Maybe an opportunity will come along someday. And if it does, I get to be your first customer, alright?”

Victor chuckled. “Alright, deal.”

Just then, the waiter came by with their food. They dug into their delicious-smelling meals, and the topic of conversation changed many times from that point on, though Victor never quite lost the warm, light feeling that settled in his chest.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri was humming on the ride back to the manor, leaning his head against Victor’s shoulder. Victor rested his own head on Yuuri’s, and smiled into his hair.

“What song is that?” he asked.

“ _ Easy to Love,”  _ Yuuri answered softly. “I heard it while I was traveling with Minako.”

“I’ve heard it before. Georgi bought the record, I think.”

“It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

“It is,” Victor agreed, and he soon fell silent again, listening to Yuuri continue to hum the song.

By the time they reached the manor, it seemed Victor had gotten another idea. He grabbed Yuuri’s hand and winked. Yuuri was confused, especially when the Alpha began leading him away from the servants’ quarters, where he’d expected to go, and instead brought him to the studio.

“Vitya, what - ?” Yuuri started, but the words died on his tongue as Victor let go of his hand…

Only to bow in front of him and extend his hand again, this time in invitation.

“I’m sure JJ is a fine dancer and all,” he began, grinning mischievously, “but don’t forget, Yuuri, I was your dancing partner first.”

Yuuri stared at him for a moment, and then a brief giggle escaped his lips. He reached out and placed his own hand in Victor’s, allowing the Alpha to draw him in closer.

“If by ‘dancing partner’ you mean, I used to stand on your feet while you twirled around the floor like a madman, then yes, I suppose you’re right,” Yuuri said teasingly. 

“You could always stand on my feet again, for nostalgia’s sake,” quipped Victor.

“I wouldn’t want to ruin your shoes.”

“Ah, good call.”

Yuuri laughed, and so did Victor, and they both began to sway gently together.

“Say, Yuuri. How about you sing that song again?” Victor asked. “Slowly.”

Yuuri smiled into Victor’s shoulder. “Okay.”

He closed his eyes, Victor’s arms wrapped around him like a warm blanket. He inhaled the familiar scent of apples and vanilla, and began to hum the same melody.

He didn’t know how long they spent there, rocking back and to nothing but Yuuri’s quiet crooning. The end of the song was nearing, to the Omega’s dismay. He wanted this to last forever.

Then, above him, he heard Victor’s voice join in the melody.

_ “So try to see your future with me… Cause you’d be oh so easy to love…” _

Yuuri held in a sigh and instead hummed the last note of the song. This song was far more appropriate than he’d anticipated.

Their swaying came to a gradual stop, though Victor didn’t move to step away from Yuuri - and so, Yuuri didn’t move either. They simply stood there, enjoying each other’s warmth. Finally, Yuuri pulled his head away from the Alpha’s shoulder to look up at him, and was met with an incredibly fond, ice-blue gaze. 

Victor was so close. Yuuri’s eyes were drawn almost unwillingly to his lips, parted ever so slightly, and chapped from the cold. 

‘I should give him my lip balm,’ he thought absently, still staring at his lips. Then, the lips moved, and he realized belatedly that Victor was speaking again.

“We should probably get to bed, now,” Victor murmured. “Don’t you have rehearsals in the morning?”

“I…” Yuuri blinked slowly, his consciousness coming back to him. “Yes. You’re right. We should… sleep.”

“Well then.” Regrettably, Victor let go of Yuuri and stepped back, and Yuuri mourned the loss of his warmth. The Alpha bowed again, with another unfairly handsome smile. “Goodnight,  _ zvezda moya.” _

“Good night,” Yuuri started to say, only Victor stepped forwards again and  _ kissed his cheek.  _ Yuuri’s words got caught in his throat due to his shock. He stared at Victor with round eyes, his mouth flapping open uselessly.

Victor brushed a stray piece of hair from Yuuri’s forehead, just as he’d done earlier. But instead of immediately flinching away, he looked the Omega in the eyes and chuckled at his expression.

“See you tomorrow,” he said, and walked out of the studio, leaving a very flustered Yuuri in his wake.

Several moments after Victor had gone, Yuuri pressed his palm against the cheek the Alpha had kissed, and he  _ swooned. _

 

* * *

 

Yuuri all but skipped back to his room, overcome with joy. He almost didn’t notice the man trailing behind him, clearing his throat for Yuuri’s attention, until he was almost at his door.

The man groaned and put a hand on Yuuri’s shoulder, startling him into turning around.

“Wha - Oh! Yakov?” The Omega tilted his head in confusion. The older man was looking down at him with a strange look on his face - it was half annoyed, half sad, and it was completely confusing. “What are you still doing awake?”

“I’d ask you the same, but unfortunately, I know the answer to that already,” he grunted. “Yuuri, we need to talk.”

“Okay…?” Yuuri turned to face Yakov fully, unsure of where this was going.

Yakov took a deep breath, a pained look flitting across his features for a split second. Then he gave Yuuri his sternest glare.

“You need to stop pursuing Vitya.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! :D
> 
> Okay, before you all start a riot, I will give you this: Victor happened to come to a revelation during that little dance of theirs... What could it be? ;)
> 
> [(here's the song they danced to btw)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqXTy64HIz0)


	10. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yakov and Yuuri's... "discussion" has some interesting side effects.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SURPRISE! ... AGAIN!
> 
> I literally just wrote this whole thing in three hours. In class. We finished our assignments early, so I wrote the first half there and the rest at home lol.   
> And given that it was written like that, there might be some errant spelling mistakes. Sorry. ouo
> 
> But anyway, whoo!

* * *

 

 

_ “You need to stop pursuing Vitya.” _

It felt like time had stopped.

Yuuri stared at Yakov, the older man’s glare unforgiving in return.

“I… What?” was all the Omega could manage to get out.

Yakov closed his eyes, letting out a long exhale of breath, before looking back at Yuuri.

“That’s what you’ve been doing, isn’t it? These outings, and using Vitya’s favorite song for your routine.”

“I…” Yuuri stuttered uselessly. “Uh…”

“Look, Yuuri,” Yakov said quietly, “it isn’t that I don’t like you. Quite the contrary, really. If it were Georgi or Mila you were going after, I wouldn’t say a word. But with Vitya, it’s different. He’s the  _ heir _ , Yuuri.”

Yuuri finally regained control of his voice, and he raised his head to meet Yakov’s glare. 

“I know that!” he nearly shouted back, making Yakov blink with surprise. “How could I not know that? You drill it into Vitya’s head nearly everyday!”

Quickly shaking off his surprise, Yakov scowled, taking a step closer. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying you can’t dictate Victor’s life just because he’s the oldest!” Yuuri’s fists clenched at his sides. “He’s his own person, not a younger version of you to mold into what  _ you  _ want!”

“Watch your tone, Yuuri,” Yakov said warningly.

“I’m not scared of you, Yakov. You’re practically my uncle, I can’t be scared of you.” Yuuri frowned, and Yakov’s shoulders hunched forward just the tiniest bit. “I just don’t understand why this is so important to you.”

“...” Yakov sighed again. “It’s the way things are done in this family, Yuuri. My marriage was arranged for me, and Lilia and I are perfectly happy.”

Yuuri suddenly looked alarmed. “You’re going to  _ arrange  _ Victor’s - !”

“No, no,” he said hurriedly. “We weren’t planning on  _ that.  _ We wanted Victor to go out and meet a nice Omega or Beta of his own choosing.”

“So long as they’re from a good family,” Yuuri scoffed.

“I don’t expect you to suddenly understand,” said Yakov. “Not if you’ve been pining after Vitya for all these years. But please. Let our family continue to do what we think is best for our own.”

Yuuri bit his lip. “... What if I don’t? What if I keep going after Victor?”

Yakov gave him a sad look. “Then I will have to ask you to leave this house. Your family may stay, but  _ you  _ cannot stick around to keep distracting Vitya from his duties. I don’t want to have to do that, Yuuri,” he said carefully, in the face of Yuuri’s astonishment. “Do we have an understanding here?”

Yuuri gaped at him. He’d kick him  _ out  _ if he kept at it? He knew Yakov was dedicated to his causes, but  _ this… _

He straightened his back and grimaced, valiantly ignoring the burning behind his eyes - a telltale sign that he was tearing up.

“Goodnight, Yakov,” he said tersely, and stormed into his room before Yakov could even open his mouth to reply.

He threw himself onto his bed and waited, listening to complete silence. Then, heavy footsteps padded away from his door, signaling that Yakov had left. 

Yuuri took a shuddering breath, grabbing the nearest pillow. 

He buried his face in it and let himself cry.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri left the house earlier than usual the next morning. No one was awake yet, not even his own parents, so he managed to sneak out of the house without seeing another soul wandering about.

Certainly not Victor.

He made his way to the Bolshoi, a his mouth a firm line on his face. He was desperate to get to rehearsals and just  _ dance,  _ hoping that the exercise would distract him from his current dilemma, as it had done many times before.

He knew he’d have to think about, eventually. He’d have to talk about with Victor, too. Especially if Victor’s behavior last night was any indication towards his changing feelings about Yuuri.

Yuuri almost wanted to cry all over again; they’d  _ just  _ made some good progress.

He arrived at the Bolshoi, and found the studio nearly empty, save for Phichit, who was normally early, and, to his surprise, JJ.

The two were chatting amiably with each other as Yuuri approached the stage. JJ was practically glowing as Phichit laughed at something he said, and Yuuri allowed himself a small smile, feeling happy for his friend.

JJ noticed Yuuri first, and broke away from the conversation for a moment greet him.

“Hey, Yuuri! You’re up early!”

Yuuri managed a weak wave in return. “Haha, yeah… I couldn’t really sleep last night.”

“Really?” spoke Phichit. “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” he assured them. “I just want to dance.”

“Well…” JJ looked at him, obviously not convinced. But Yuuri sent him an imploring gaze, and he only sighed. “Alright. Come on up, let’s rehearse your entrance number.”

They began practicing, and Yuuri kept at it without break. Even as the other dancers gradually filed in, taking up more room on the stage, Yuuri was practicing his positions and steps, his mind focused on that and little else.

“Hey,” Guang-Hong whispered to JJ, who had been watching Yuuri with a frown. “Is something up with Yuuri?”

“I’ve been wondering that too,” piped in Sara. “He’s got like, tunnel-vision or something today.”

The Alpha pursed his lips. “I’m not sure,” he answered truthfully. “But it is obvious, isn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Sara nodded with a grimace. “Technically, his form is perfect, but the emotional aspect…”

“It’s completely lacking,” Guang-Hong sighed. “I hope that whatever it is, it gets resolved soon.”

JJ hummed his agreement, and let the two Omegas go off to rehearse their own routines. His gaze drifted back to Yuuri, who looked grimly determined as ever. After a few more minutes of observation, he made up his mind, and walked over to his partner.

“Hey, Yuuri.” When the dancer didn’t immediately respond, he tapped his shoulder.

“Wh- Oh. Hey, JJ. What is it?”

“Get your things,” he said sternly. “We’re going out.”

“What?” Yuuri’s brows furrowed, incredulous. “But we’re rehearsing!”

“We can take a day off, Celestino won’t mind. Come on,” he urged.

Yuuri shook his head. “You can go, JJ, I’m fine - !”

“You are  _ not  _ fine,” JJ interrupted. “Something’s up with you. I’m asking you to leave with me so you don’t have to discuss it in front of everyone else. We can go somewhere private. Please, Yuuri?” he entreated.

“I…” Yuuri faltered, his gaze darting around the stage. No one was looking at them, save for Phichit, who waved at Yuuri upon their eyes meeting. Yuuri quickly looked away. “Fine… But I pick the place.”

JJ grinned. “Deal.”

Yuuri quietly packed up his things and left with JJ, after the Alpha explained to Celestino that they were done for the day. Celestino let them go with a simple wave of his hand, though Yuuri caught his worried look just as they were leaving; evidently, Celestino had noticed his mood as well.

JJ hailed them a cab and they piled inside. The Alpha turned to him and asked where he wanted to go.

Yuuri thought for a moment, then decided.

The drive over was done in nearly suffocating silence, as Yuuri was more than aware of JJ’s furtive glances. But soon enough, they arrived at their destination. Yuuri clambered out of the cab as JJ paid the driver.

“Ice Castle, hm?” the Alpha said, as the two of them walked through the doors. Luckily, the rink was still pretty empty this early in the morning. “I haven’t been here since I was fourteen.”

Yuuri hummed quietly.

Takeshi was working the morning shift, and he greeted Yuuri with his usual wide smile, though it lessened slightly when he noticed the Omega’s sullen expression. But he merely gave the two their skates and didn’t press - Yuuri was grateful. Yuuko probably would’ve pestered him, and he knew she meant well, but he wasn’t up for another interrogation. At least, not when JJ was clearly gearing up for one himself.

They glided out onto the ice, and Yuuri began making lazy figure eights as JJ trailed behind him.

“So?” JJ prompted, after a few minutes had passed.

Yuuri glanced at him. The look on JJ’s face, both concerned and patient, broke the dam.

He told JJ everything about last night - the car ride, the dinner, the dance - and Yakov’s warning-slash-threat. JJ listened without interruption, and by the time Yuuri was finished, more unshed tears gathered behind his eyes. He skated to the edge of the rink and leaned against the divider, hurriedly wiping his eyes. He heard JJ come up behind him, laying a warm hand on Yuuri’s back.

“Now I don’t know what to do,” Yuuri confessed. “I don’t - I  _ can’t  _ give up on Victor, not now.”

“So don’t,” JJ said simply.

“But - !” Yuuri whirled around to face him. “How can I ask him to go against his own father? He’s done what Yakov’s wanted for so long…”

JJ reached forwards and put his hand back on Yuuri, this time on his shoulder. “Maybe it’s time you changed that. And… Call me crazy, but I don’t think Yakov really meant what he said.”

Yuuri blinked. “What? How would you know? You’ve never even met him.”

“True,” he shrugged. “But… Well, you see, Yuuri, I had a talk with my folks the other day. I decided to tell them about Phichit.”

Yuuri gaped. “W-What did they think?”

“My dad got upset, but mom didn’t say much. He said that I deserved so much more than just another Beta, but if I was so adamant, then he’d disown me. That’s when mom stepped in.” A ghost of a smile appeared on JJ’s lips. “She asked me if I really, really loved Phichit. I told her that I had for two years, and they both looked at me like I was crazy. Then Dad said, ‘For  _ that  _ long?! Why didn’t you say something sooner?!’ Can you believe that?” JJ huffed. “Like it would’ve been easy to say.”

“So…” Yuuri fidgeted. “What happened?”

“I think they both realized that I wasn’t going to change my mind. So we sat down, had a calm conversation, and… Then my dad said ‘okay’.”

Yuuri frowned. “Just ‘okay’?”

“Well, he said that, then he gave me a quick hug before walking out,” JJ laughed. “He probably needs more time to adjust. But mom wants me to bring Phichit to  _ Partizan  _ someday.”

“Really?” Yuuri’s eyes went wide, his own problems temporarily gone from his mind. “So, does that mean - ?”

“Yeah,” JJ said quietly, smiling down at him. “I’m going to try and ask Phichit out again. Properly.”

“That’s wonderful, JJ,” Yuuri said, meaning every word of it. 

“I know,” he agreed. “But, back to the matter at hand… I think Yakov might be pretty similar to my dad.”

“Huh?”

“I mean, I get it, right? Parents want what they think is best for their kids. For me, that’s an Omega, and for Victor, that’s to have everything his own dad has. A government job, a society-bred mate… But at the end of everything, they want their kids to be happy.” JJ squeezed Yuuri’s shoulder. “You need to get to Victor and have him talk things out with his dad.”

“He’s… He’s tried,” Yuuri protested weakly. “Yakov doesn’t listen…”

“So try again. But this time, be with him. If what you’re thinking is right, and Victor’s starting to see you the way you want him to, then he’ll fight even harder with you at his side.” JJ’s other hand found Yuuri’s other shoulder, and he brought the Omega closer. “And if that doesn’t work, then you two should just elope.”

Yuuri stared at him. Suddenly, a giggle erupted from his throat, and soon he was full-out laughing. JJ grinned at the sight of him.

“It’s a good idea!” he insisted jokingly.

“It’s a  _ terrible  _ idea,” wheezed Yuuri. “For one, my parents would kill me!”

“Sacrifices must be made for love, Yuuri.”

“You’re so ridiculous.”

JJ laughed. “Yeah, but you love me.”

Yuuri sighed happily. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around JJ’s torso, burying his face in the Alpha’s chest. JJ returned the hug with no hesitation, his own arms around Yuuri’s shoulders.

“I do,” Yuuri said, his voice muffled but still comprehensible. “Thank you so much, JJ…”

“Hey,” JJ said gently, “what are partners for?”

Yuuri giggled weakly against the taller man, and JJ squeezed him tighter in response.

They were in a little bubble, the two of them. Just each other’s warmth and the white noise of the rink around them. It was nice, Yuuri thought privately.

“ _ Yuuri!” _

He startled out of JJ’s embrace, and they both looked up at the entrance to the rink, where the sudden voice had come from.

Yuuri’s eyes widened to an almost comical degree. Because there, in the doorway, illuminated by the light outside and panting as though he’d run a marathon was…

“Victor?”

 

* * *

 

Breakfast at the Nikiforov household was not usually a family affair. Everyone had their different schedules to adhere to, but that particular morning found the entire family assembled at the table.

Hiroko bustled about, serving everyone their portions, her smile as cheery as ever.

“Oh, Hiroko?” Georgi spoke up, just as she was about to leave.

“Hm? What is it, Georgi?” she asked.

“Is Yuuri okay?”

Both Victor and Yakov snapped their gazes to the second-oldest son. Hiroko frowned, puzzled.

“What do you mean?”

“I saw him leave this morning, very early,” he explained. “He looked… well, I wouldn’t say upset, but he definitely didn’t seem like himself.”

“Upset?” Victor repeated. “Why would he be upset?”

“What did you do?” Yuri asked, glowering at Victor.

“Wh - ? What do you mean, ‘what did  _ I  _ do’?”

“You two went out last night,” the blond went on accusingly. “You must have done something, if you were the last person to see him.”

“I…” Victor frowned dejectedly. “I thought things went pretty well…”

“Wait, you two went on a  _ date?!”  _ screeched Mila. “Vitya, why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I knew you’d do  _ that,”  _ he murmured. He looked back at Georgi. “Did you talk to Yuuri? Did he say anything?”

Unfortunately, he shook his head. “No, he left before I could even open my mouth.”

“I last saw him before he left with Vicchan,” said Hiroko. “He did seem nervous…”

“Aha,” Yuri pointed a finger at Victor, who flinched. “I bet you said something that made him break down.”

“No, I didn’t!” Victor said desperately. “I was nice! We talked about normal stuff!”

“You didn’t do anything else?” asked Lilia, her gaze steely. Beside her, Yakov shifted uncomfortably.

“No!” groaned Victor. “I mean, we kind of danced a little in the studio after we got home… And…” His cheeks darkened, to the curiosity of his siblings. “I might have… kissed hi-!”

“ _ You kissed him?!”  _ Mila and Yuri shouted in unison, as Georgi merely raised an eyebrow in shock at his older brother. Hiroko held a hand to her mouth, equally stunned, but Lilia only sighed, and Yakov continued to fidget in his chair.

“His cheek!” Victor corrected hurriedly. “I kissed his  _ cheek!” _

“You  _ kissed  _ him,” Yuri repeated, ignoring Victor entirely. “Holy  _ shit.” _

“Yura, language,” said Lilia. “And Vitya…” 

Victor froze as his mother’s severe eyes turned on him.

But, the woman only sighed, shaking her head. “It’s about time.”

“... What?”

Hiroko laughed gently. “Well, it looks like Minako won the bet, after all.”

“The… bet?” Victor was hopelessly lost, and it seemed he wasn’t the only one - his father looked just as surprised.

“We had a bet running on when you and Yuuri would start getting serious,” said Georgi. “I thought it would take another few months…”

“I got knocked out by the third week after Yuuri got home,” bemoaned Mila. “I was so sure you wouldn’t be able to control yourself…”

“You couldn’t have waited another week?” Yuri asked, annoyed. “Of course Minako fucking won. She  _ trained  _ him, she knew what he’d do! Cheater…”

“ _ Yurio  _ was in on it, too?” Victor asked, dazed.

He was ignored, again.

“The bet aside,” said Georgi, “we still don’t know what bothered Yuuri last night. If it wasn’t Victor, then…”

Lilia scoffed. “Please. I think it was obvious.” Everyone turned to her and stared in confusion. She directed her glare at her husband. “Yakov.”

He froze, hesitating for a few seconds before facing his wife. “Y-Yes?”

“What did you do?” she demanded.

“Wh- Papa?” Victor turned to his father, as did his siblings, with matching looks of uncertainty.

“I…” Seeing that he was cornered, Yakov sighed. “Oh, fine. Yes, I talked to Yuuri last night, just before he went to bed.”

And he told them exactly what had happened. To his credit, Yakov didn’t flinch, even as his family members took on expressions with varying degrees of horror and shock, and he finished his spiel with a patient look leveled at them all. Even Hiroko, who looked devastated.

Victor was the first to speak. “How… How could you  _ say  _ that to Yuuri, Papa?”

“I thought I was doing the right thing,” he defended himself, though it lacked true fire. “I’ve told you time and time again, Vitya, what I expect of you.”

“And what, Yuuri’s not good enough for this dumbass?” Yuri spat, his words pure venom. “Please. I think it’s the other way around.”

“No wonder he was upset,” breathed Georgi. “Oh, Papa, please tell me you didn’t make him cry!”

Every eye once again turned sharply on Yakov, but Victor and Hiroko looked particularly murderous. 

“He  _ didn’t  _ cry,” groaned Yakov. “At least, not as far as I know. He actually fought back. Quite ardently, too.”

Victor stared. “He - He did?”

Yakov nodded. “He yelled at me, claiming that I was doing you more harm than good. And even when I told him I’d evict him from the house,” an almost  _ fond  _ look passed over the old man’s face, to everyone’s astonishment, “he still refused to give up on you, Vitya.”

“Yuuri…” Victor murmured to himself.

“At any rate, he’s certainly not the shy boy he used to be,” Yakov conceded.

“Of course,” said Lilia. “That was the purpose of my sponsoring his trip in the first place.”

“Wait,” Yuri held up a hand. “I thought you just wanted him to learn to dance better, or whatever.”

“That was part of it,” she said coyly. Everyone was stunned around her, even Yakov. But not, amazingly, Hiroko. The plump older woman was merely smiling at her, as if she were sharing some great secret.

“Mama,”Mila gawked. “Did you… did you sponsor Yuuri’s trip to groom him into a suitable mate for Vitya?”

“Goodness, you make it sound so crass,” objected Lilia. “I merely saw Yuuri’s potential, and realized that if he were to join our family, it would be a gain for us.” She turned and saw Yakov’s slack-jawed stare, and she tutted disapprovingly. “Really, dear, is it so hard for you to believe that while you wanted Vitya to marry some aristocrat,  _ I  _ wanted him to marry a dancer?”

“It…” Yakov swallowed. “It actually isn’t.”

“Wow, Mama, that’s devious,” commented Yuri, almost… approvingly?

“Okay, okay, everyone please be quiet!” Victor shouted, slapping his hands down on the table with a bang. When he had everyone’s attention, he let out a long sigh. “So, if I understand this correctly… Everyone at this table has had some kind of say in my life without my knowledge?”

His siblings frowned guiltily, and the adults had the decency to look chagrined as well. 

“I don’t believe this,” Victor collapsed back in his chair. He stared up at the ceiling in utter disbelief. “You all can’t just - who  _ does  _ that?”

“Well, it wasn’t like  _ you  _ were doing your own thing,” Yuri scowled. “You were content to let Papa dictate everything for you. Look, when Yuuri came back, you were happier than we’d seen you in  _ years.  _ So yeah, we wanted you two to get together! But we never directly interfered. So I don’t know why you’re mad at me, Mila, and Georgi. Or Hiroko. Mama and Papa, sure, be mad at them. But we were just waiting for you to realize what you wanted.”

Victor ogled his brother. “Y-Yurio…”

“So?” the blond gave him a challenging glare. “What is it you want, Victor?”

“I…” Victor opened his mouth, then closed it again. What  _ did _ he want? He tried to think about it carefully, but his thoughts always came back to the same thing. 

“ _ Yuuri,”  _ he said fervently. “I want Yuuri.” He looked at his youngest brother, who smiled in approval.

“So go and get him, you fucker.”

Victor bolted from the dining room, not sparing any of them another glance.

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of another cliffhanger?? I guess???
> 
> Hopefully y'all can chill about Yakov now. I know it was a dick move, but he's an old man you guys, show some mercy please
> 
> So, there's just two chapters left. The next one is the final, and then there's an epilogue, but they should both be fairly short? Although, the epilogue will have smut, so... 
> 
> ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	11. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Yuuri talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's on the short side, but I thought it was good to end it where it was. Hope you all enjoy what is technically the last chapter! At this rate, I think I'll have the Epilogue chapter out by the end of the week. :) 
> 
> This takes place right after Victor finds Yuuri and JJ at the rink, in case anyone gets confused!

 

* * *

 

“Victor?” Yuuri stepped away from JJ as Victor ran from the door to get to the ice where they were standing. JJ’s arms were still loosely wrapped around Yuuri’s shoulders, and one of Yuuri’s hands rested on the taller man’s chest. “What are you doing here?”

Victor didn’t stop until he was directly in front of Yuuri; the only thing that separated them was the divider on the rink. He panted, his cheeks flushed, and his hair was a mess, all windswept and crazy.

“I - I need to talk to you!” he said, almost hysterically. His eyes went to JJ; he glared at the other Alpha, with such an intensity that Yuuri didn’t know he was capable of, and he  _ growled,  _ “ _ Alone.” _

JJ quickly stepped aside from Yuuri and held up his hands, looking both terrified and amused. “Okay, okay! I’m going!” He skated to the edge of the rink and replaced his blade guards. He gave Yuuri a wary look, but the Omega nodded, so he smiled pleasantly at the two of them.

“Bye Yuuri, see you tomorrow!” he called out, practically running to return his skates and get out of there.

Victor kept an eye on him until he left the rink. Once he was sure he was gone, he looked back to Yuuri.

“I’ll, um…” Yuuri looked down at his skates - he was still on the ice. “Give me a minute?”

Victor nodded, watching anxiously as Yuuri skated to the area where he could step back on the ground. He replaced his blade guards and then moved to sit down on the closest bench. Victor followed suit, and sat right beside him.

Yuuri fidgeted nervously, his fingers playing on the seat of his lap, and he cast glances at Victor. The Alpha was broody, frowning into the distance.

“W-What…” Yuuri tried, but then Victor turned to look at him, and his mouth snapped shut. The Alpha wasn’t just broody, he was downright  _ angry. _

“What was that?” Victor whispered, as if he couldn’t trust himself not to shout.

“W-What was what?” asked Yuuri, confused.

“ _ That.  _ With JJ. The - the  _ hugging,  _ and the…” Victor’s eyes narrowed. “You were talking about  _ eloping.” _

Yuuri blinked. “Oh, that?”

Victor bristled. “Yes,  _ that.” _

“That wasn’t about  _ us.  _ JJ was talking about me and…” Yuuri hesitated. “M-Me and you.”

All at once, the anger vanished from Victor’s face. He stared at Yuuri, now completely lost.

“W-Wait, what? But… H-He said you loved him? And you said you did?”

“Platonically, Vitya,” laughed Yuuri. “JJ is just a friend. A very good friend, but a friend all the same.”

“Oh…” Victor looked back out to the ice, dumbfounded. “Really?”

“Really. In fact, JJ has his eye on someone else.”

A beat passed, then a chuckle escaped the Alpha’s lips. “Well. Here I was, ready to make a case for myself, but it turns out I don’t have to fight anyone…”

Yuuri tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

“Later,” Victor said, facing him again. “First, we need to talk about my father.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened. “Y-Yakov?”

Victor nodded. One of his hands reached out and found Yuuri’s. His fingers were cold, but not colder than the Omega’s, and he brushed his thumb over his knuckles.

“We found out what he said to you last night,” Victor explained. “‘We’ meaning the entire family.”

Yuuri gasped, “How?”

“Well… I guess Georgi saw you this morning and noticed you were upset. He brought it up to your mother, hoping she knew the reason, and then Mama noticed that Papa was acting strangely, or something…” Victor shook his head. “Anyway, he told us everything. I know that he… threatened you.”

The Omega closed his gaping mouth. He regarded Victor warily. “... And?”

“And...” Victor took a deep breath as he tightened his grip on Yuuri. “I am furious with him.”

“Vitya…?”

“I know that I’ve always done what he’s expected - with a fair amount of grumbling, granted - but I did it because I knew he just wanted me to be successful. To be… happy, I suppose. But I draw the line at him deciding who is and isn’t suitable for me to marry. Especially if it’s  _ you.” _

Yuuri’s breath hitched, and Victor raised his other hand to cup the Omega’s cheek. They were left to stare into each other’s eyes.

“Yuuri, you’re…” Victor paused, licking his lips. “I think you’re wonderful. I can’t see how Papa could ever disapprove of you. You’re smart, sweet, talented, and passionate. N-Not to mention gorgeous,” he laughed nervously, as Yuuri continued to stare at him, eyes wide and stunned. “W-What I’m trying to say is…  _ He  _ might not think you’re a suitable mate for me, but I… I can’t think of anyone I’d want more.”

Yuuri’s jaw dropped. “V-Vitya!”

Steeling himself, Victor dropped his hand from Yuuri’s cheek and instead brought it down to join the other in clasping Yuuri’s own. 

“I love you, Yuuri Katsuki,” he declared boldly. “Damn what my father, or what anyone else says. I’m in love with you.”

His declaration was met with silence. Yuuri could only gape at him, as if he couldn’t quite believe that Victor was really there. The seconds without a response, stretched on, and Victor grew more and more uncomfortable, his skin prickling with the anxiety.

“Y-Yuuri,” he began, desperate to break the still quietness, “please- !”

Suddenly the Omega shot forward, and whatever Victor was quickly forgotten - his brain nearly short circuited as Yuuri grabbed either side of his face and tugged him in, their lips crashing together. 

It took Victor a moment to realize they were kissing. And once he did realize it, he let out a low groan and immediately kissed back. He wrapped his arms around Yuuri and held him even closer, eliciting a soft gasp from the smaller man. 

The kiss itself was chaste, nothing more than their lips pressed together, but Victor felt light-headed all the same. Yuuri’s lips were even softer than he’d thought, almost velvety in fact, and he reveled in the feeling of them sliding against his own.

But regrettably, Yuuri ended the kiss first, moving his head back to look Victor in the eyes. Only, Victor had closed them during the kiss, and it took Yuuri’s gentle voice saying his name to get him to open them again.

“Vitya?”

“... Huh?” Victor blinked, as if awakening from a trance. His face felt warm, even with Yuuri’s cold hands still grasping his head. And as he refocused his gaze on Yuuri, he saw that the Omega’s cheeks were pleasantly rosy as well.

Yuuri smiled at him. “I love you too, Victor. My Vitya. I have ever since I was a kid.”

Victor let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, and he slumped forwards, leaning his weight against Yuuri, who was startled.

“V-Vitya? Are you okay?”

Victor rested his forehead on the Omega’s shoulder and laughed. “Sorry, I just… You’ve overwhelmed me,  _ zvyozdochka.” _

Yuuri paused, then chuckled softly, running a hand through Victor’s silvery hair. “Oh, really?”

“Really. I don’t know how I’ll be able to cope,” the Alpha moaned dramatically. “My Omega is just too much, I’ll die!”

“Hush, you,” Yuuri chided, though he smiled like a giddy fool at Victor’s words.  _ My Omega.  _ He loved the sound of that.

Victor sighed. “Especially if you keep kissing me like that.”

“Oh, I could kiss you much better than that,” Yuuri said wickedly, causing Victor to straighten his back and stare at him. Yuuri was smirking; he pressed a finger to Victor’s mouth, tracing the shape of his lips. “If  _ that  _ overwhelmed you, then maybe you’re right. You might just die.”

The Alpha shivered. “ _ Christ,  _ Yuuri… I’m not going to survive this courtship, am I?”

Yuuri shrugged, retracting his finger. “If it helps, technically speaking, we’re already engaged.”

… What?

“I’m sorry, what?” Victor asked out loud, incredulous. “When did -  _ what?” _

“Ah, you don’t remember. I thought not,” Yuuri sent him an abashed look.

“R-Remember  _ what _ ?” Victor screeched.

“When I first presented,” Yuuri explained,chuckling, “I got scared, so I ran to find you. It was right here, actually.” Yuuri glanced fondly at the rink, though Victor kept his eyes riveted to the Omega. “You promised you would marry me when I thought no one in their right mind would want me as a mate. And every decision I’ve made since then has been about making you follow through on that promise.” 

When Yuuri’s eyes returned to Victor, he found the Alpha looking utterly floored. Victor snapped out of it and gazed at Yuuri - sweet, gorgeous, lovely, and  _ his. _

“You really have been in love with me this whole time…” he murmured, equal parts flattered and embarrassed. “Oh, Yuuri, I’m so sorry I forgot.”

“Well…” Yuuri smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “It ended up working out, didn’t it?”

“It did,” he nodded. Then, after a beat, “Though, for propriety’s sake, I still need to court you. I can’t have everyone thinking I jumped the gun and proposed right off the bat.”

“You kind of did, though.”

“Yes, but no one else needs to know that.”

Yuuri burst into a fit of giggles. “Okay, okay. You can court me properly.”

Victor beamed. “Great! And when a few months pass…” His gaze softened. “I’ll buy you a ring, and propose the right way.”

“It better be a nice ring,” Yuuri warned jokingly. 

“Only the best for you,  _ zvezda moya.”  _ Victor kissed his forehead. “From now until forever… I love you.”

Yuuri closed his eyes with a happy sigh, and fell into Victor’s embrace feeling lighter than air.

“I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... And then later, Takeshi catches them making out on the bench. And like, he's happy for Yuuri, but at the same time, gross. do that at home ya nasties
> 
> Aaanyway. Just the Epilogue to go! I'll save my sobbing appreciation for you guys until then, haha.


	12. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 years later.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HERE IT IS Y'ALL
> 
> [forewarning for the smut: lingerie is featured ;D ]

* * *

 

“Wow!” 

Kenjirou fawned as Yuuri performed a perfect  _ grand jeté,  _ the older Omega all but flying across the stage. JJ move behind him just as gracefully, but everyone who knew Kenjirou knew he only had eyes for his idol.

“Did you guys see that?” he grinned, turning to his fellow dancers, who were all gathered backstage, still in their costumes, to watch the final number. His friends smiled and laughed at his obvious enthusiasm.

“Yeah, yeah, Minami, we know. ‘Yuuri Katsuki is an angel on the stage! What grace, what style!’ We’ve heard it all before,” laughed Elizabeta.

“Like yesterday, for example, when you saw him do the exact same move at rehearsals,” added Freddie.

Kenjirou flushed, but his happy smile remained firmly in place. He turned back to the stage and watched as Yuuri performed rapid fouettes, JJ reaching out longingly all the while. When he stopped, JJ stepped forwards and lowered him into a dip. The two dancers were gazing at each other as if they were the only people in the world, their eyes soft and full of love.

Elizabeta sighed dreamily. “Oh, they’re such a lovely couple, aren’t they? No wonder they always play the leads!”

“Do you remember  _ The Tale of the Lonely Playboy?”  _ said Machida, who was right next to Kenjirou. “God, they were fantastic in that. Made Leroy and Katsuki a household name in the Bolshoi.”

Kenjirou nodded ecstatically -  _ The Tale of the Lonely Playboy  _ had been the first performance of Yuuri’s he’d ever seen. He was halfway through his trip studying abroad, and still unsure of what path he wanted to follow as an Omega. But then he’d seen Yuuri, a vision of utter beauty, the epitome of all Omegas, and he’d told his tutor that he wanted to be a dancer before they’d even left the theatre.

Years later, and there he was, able to dance on the same stage as his inspiration. And Yuuri had been so  _ nice  _ to him when they officially met! He even helped him with his positions during rehearsals sometimes! 

Kenjirou was living the dream!

“They are quite a handsome pair, aren’t they?” a new voice spoke, making all the dancers look away from the stage. Even Kenjirou tore his gaze away to see who had spoken- it certainly wasn’t any of the dancers.

Who they saw standing before them was an attractive older man, possibly in his mid to late thirties, with silver hair and a secretive smile on his face. He was holding in his arms a large bouquet of blue roses, and Kenjirou thought he saw a glint of gold on the man’s right hand. A wedding ring?

Machida narrowed his eyes suspiciously. “And who are you?” he asked. “How did you get back here?”

The older man laughed and held up his right hand in surrender, the left still curled around the bouquet. 

Yes, Kenjirou noted, that was definitely a gold wedding band on his ring finger.

“Now, now, I have permission to be here. As for who I am, well…” The man shifted his gaze to the stage, where JJ and Yuuri had completed their dance, standing in their finishing poses like finely-carved statues. The man’s smile widened. “I’m a fellow fan.”

Kenjirou furrowed his brow, and the other dancers didn’t look terribly convinced either, but no one could say anything before JJ and Yuuri had exited the scene and made their way backstage. Yuuri gave them all a pleasant smile before his eyes locked on the man, and suddenly he was positively  _ glowing.  _

“Vitya!” he exclaimed, rushing across the backstage area to reach the man. He jumped up and threw his arm around the man’s neck, so the man had to quickly move the bouquet before it got crushed. Nonetheless, he laughed and spun Yuuri in a circle before gently setting him down.

Kenjirou and his peers gawked. JJ laughed.

“Victor! When did you get back?” he asked the man, who was either ‘Vitya’ or ‘Victor’, Kenjirou wasn’t sure.

“Just over an hour ago,” he answered. “I heard the performance was still going on, so I figured, why not surprise my lovely Omega?” He smiled down at Yuuri and held up the bouquet. “These are for you, darling.”

Yuuri happily accepted the bouquet. “Thank you, Vitya.”

“Wait!” Elizabeta held up her hands, confusion evident in her expression. “Yuuri,  _ he’s  _ your Alpha?”

Yuuri blinked. “Yes…? Haven’t I mentioned him before?”

All four younger dancers shouted simultaneously, “No!”

“Yuuri!” the man gasped, hand shooting to his heart in an over-dramatic gesture. Yuuri just rolled his eyes.

“Then,” he readjusted the bouquet in his arms and nodded towards the man. “Everyone, this is my husband, Victor.”

Victor waved innocently at them all.

“But,” Freddie stuttered. He turned to JJ and pointed a finger accusingly at him. “I thought  _ he  _ was - ?”

JJ laughed again, patting Freddie on the head. “You were mistaken, I’m afraid! Actually, I’m engaged to Phichit.”

The Beta, who was further backstage chatting with Leo, looked up at the sound of his name. He beamed and blew JJ an exaggerated kiss, which JJ pretended to catch and hold to his lips, grinning like a lunatic all the while.

If possible, their jaws dropped even further. 

Victor looked to Yuuri. “How long have they been here, again?”

“Just a couple of weeks,” he said back, smiling. 

The stage manager interrupted with a cough, gesturing at all the dancers assembled backstage, clearly annoyed.

“Oh,” Yuuri gasped. “We have to do the curtain call. Here,” he pushed the bouquet back into Victor’s arm, then stood on his toes to give his Alpha a peck on the lips. “I’ll be right back, okay?”

“Okay,” Victor replied. 

Kenjirou and his still-stunned friends headed back to the stage for their curtain call, but Kenjirou cast one last look back at Victor.

The Alpha was smiling after Yuuri with a lovestruck face, like Yuuri was the greatest treasure in the world, and he couldn’t believe it was his luck to have obtained him. 

It made Kenjirou grin. Yuuri was pretty, talented,  _ and  _ happy with an Alpha who clearly adored him. 

How could the guy get any better?

 

* * *

 

Yuuri smiled as Victor held open the door to the cab for him, and he clambered inside, mindful of the roses he carried in his arms. Once they were both settled, Victor gave their address to the driver and the cab began to move, the snowy streets speeding by in a white blur.

“How was your trip?” Yuuri asked first, leaning against Victor as he idly admired the roses. His wedding band glistened on his right hand, having put it on after he changed out of his costume.

“Fruitful,” Victor replied, resting one warm hand on his Omega’s thigh. “Chris nearly bought all of the fabrics he could get his hands on, so it’s safe to say we’ll have more selections in stock by the time the holiday season rolls around.”

“That’s great,” said Yuuri. “I can’t wait to see what he comes up with.  _ Concerto  _ has been doing really well, hasn’t it?”

“It has,” agreed Victor. “Though, I suppose it helps that Mila is endorsing our brand. All those society parties she goes to, it’s no wonder people get curious about her clothes.”

Yuuri chuckled, and Victor’s thumb began rubbing casual circles into his thigh.

“Anyway, what about you? Any news while I was away?”

“Well,” sighed the Omega. “Phichit’s excited for his wedding, of course, even though it’s still three weeks away, and I think Georgi just finished his new manuscript. Oh, and Yurio is finally going to a Parliament meeting next week.”

“Papa finally relented, huh?” Victor huffed. “Thank goodness. I don’t think I could have taken much more of Yurio’s complaining.”

“He’s twenty,” placated Yuuri. “You were eighteen when Yakov first took you to a meeting, and that was when you  _ didn’t  _ want to go. Of course Yurio was getting impatient.”

Victor only shrugged, and Yuuri rolled his eyes.

The cab pulled up to their house and they got out, heading inside. It was smaller than the manor they both grew up in, but it was just as elegant. Victor had bought it soon after their wedding - because as much as they loved both their families, the manor was just too cramped for a newlywed couple. But it wasn’t far, and they visited often; really, it was more like their sanctuary away from the place.

Victor took the roses and went off to find a vase for them, leaving Yuuri to head up to their bedroom to prepare for sleep. Truthfully, he  _ was  _ exhausted from his performance, and he was sure Victor was tired from his trip, but now that his Alpha was back, Yuuri did not intend to just fall asleep cuddling.

He dug into his closet and pulled out a purple shopping back,  _ Concerto  _ embossed on its front in stylish font - a little gift from Chris just before he and Victor left for their business trip.

Yuuri hurried into the bathroom and dressed himself up. Just as he was securing the last bit of lace, he heard knuckles rapping on the bathroom door.

“ _ Zvyozdochka?”  _ came Victor’s voice. “Are you in there?”

“Yes,” he called out. “Just a minute!”

He gave himself a once-over in the mirror and grinned. Then, without further preamble, he opened the door and sauntered out. Victor was in the process of unbuttoning his shirt when he caught sight of Yuuri. He promptly froze, eyes going round and jaw dropping.

“Y-Yuuri!” he blurted. “W-Where did you -?”

“Chris gave it to me,” he answered nonchalantly. “He said I could be the tester for this particular style… Well? What do you think?”

He twirled in place, giving Victor an all-around view of his outfit; it was a lingerie ensemble, midnight black stark against his pale skin, comprising of a bralette, lacy boy shorts, and thigh-high stockings.

Victor’s eyes were glued to every bit of exposed skin peeking out from a scrap of lace.

“What do I  _ think?”  _ he repeated incredulously. He walked over to Yuuri and put his hands on his waist, his touch reverent. “I think you look positively  _ delectable,  _ darling.”

Yuuri hummed, biting his lip as Victor ran his hands down his side, brushing against soft lace and softer skin. After a moment, Victor spoke up again, his voice uncharacteristically shy.

“Can you… keep the stockings on?” he asked.

Chuckling, Yuuri pushed at his Alpha, making him fall backwards onto the bed. Not giving him time to recover, he quickly followed, straddling the older man’s hips. Yuuri’s fingers went to Victor’s chest and finished unbuttoning his shirt, and his fingers met with toned muscle.

“Of course, dear,” he smirked. “But you have to get naked first.”

Victor jolted, sitting up in a flash to discard his shirt and toss it uncaringly to the floor. 

“Yuuri, you’re so gorgeous,” he breathed, voice hitching as Yuuri’s fingers trailed down towards his pants. His belt was hurriedly pulled out of its loop and tossed aside, and deftly, Yuuri unbuttoned his trousers, too.

Yuuri bent low to whisper in Victor’s ear. 

“ _ Take them off, Alpha.” _

Victor chuckled off his pants and underwear so fast he might as well have torn them off.

Satisfied that his Alpha was now completely bare beneath him, Yuuri licked his lips and began grinding down on Victor’s soft cock, gently coaxing the organ to hardness. Victor gasped, fingers digging into the bedsheets at his side.

Yuuri cupped either side of his Alpha’s face and pressed a brief kiss to his lips. Victor tried to chase after his mouth, but Yuuri pulled his head back like the tease he was and smiled.

“I was so lonely without you, Vitya,” he murmured, grinding down harder. He could feel Victor’s cock harden under his ministrations, and his own member twitched in interest. “I had to spend a whole week in this big bed all by myself…”

“I’m sorry,  _ zvyozdochka,”  _ Victor grunted. “It wasn’t easy for me, either… I thought about you every night.”

“Mmm,” Yuuri hummed, “what did you think about?”

“This,” Victor said, and suddenly gripped Yuuri’s waist, flipping the Omega on his back. Yuuri blinked, stunned, as Victor hovered triumphantly above him. He slipped a hand under the loose bralette and quickly found a nipple, forcing a squeak from Yuuri.

“T-That’s no fair, Vitya,” Yuuri complained, though it lost some of its heat when Victor began playing with his nipples, the fabric of his bralette pushed up off his chest. “I was going to - ah!”

“Hm?” Victor grinned as he pinched the rounded buds. He grinded his hips on top of Yuuri, his bare cock rubbing against the Omega’s lace-entrapped one. A damp spot had darkened the front of the boy shorts, which only made Victor grin even wider. “What were you going to do, my Omega?” He lowered his head and began kissing up Yuuri’s neck, leaving little red spots as he licked and nibbled.

“I -  _ ah!  _ I was going to,  _ nn _ , show you how much I missed you…!”

“We’ll have time for that later,” promised Victor. “But tonight, why don’t we hurry along to the main event?”

He punctuated his sentence by lowering one of his hands from the Omega’s chest, and bringing it down to slip past the waistband of the boy shorts. His heated fingers curled around Yuuri’s member; the younger man choked out a gasp as his mate began to slowly pump his erection.

“V-Vit- _ yaaa _ …” he whined.

Victor swallowed a groan at the positively sinful noise his mate just let escape his throat. He released Yuuri’s cock and yanked down the boy shorts completely, pulling them to Yuuri’s knees and then letting the Omega kick them off himself. Victor shifted, reluctantly tearing himself from his wanton lover to retrieve a small bottle from their bedside table. 

The bottle in hand, he leaned down to give Yuuri a soft kiss. The Omega mewled into it, wiggling his hips impatiently. It made Victor chuckle, but he popped open the bottle nonetheless, squirting a generous amount of lube onto his fingers before he tossed it aside.

Yuuri took the initiative and raised his legs, hooking his arms around the backs of his knees, his ankles tucked near his ears - he was nearly bending himself in half, and he didn’t even look strained. The furled pink ring nestled between his cheeks was on full display in this position - it winked invitingly, slick already dripping out in a steady stream, demonstrating Yuuri’s arousal.

Sometimes, Victor forgot how lucky it really was that he married a ballerina.

Gulping, he took a few moments to warm the lube on his fingers. When he finally deemed them ready, he positioned himself in front of his husband’s body and circled his hole with one finger. 

Yuuri bit his lip and made a low, whining sound. “Vitya, please…”

“It’s been a while,  _ zvezda moya,”  _ he soothed, tracing his rim patiently. “I need to go slow.”

“No you don’t,” was the petulant response. “I want you  _ now.” _

“Such a needy little thing,” tutted Victor. Still, he obediently shoved one finger inside, watching with an odd sense of satisfaction as Yuuri’s back arched off the bed and he moaned loudly. Yuuri was warm and tight around his finger, making his cock twitch jealously. He grabbed it with his free hand and began stroking himself, enticed by the arousing image Yuuri made. “You’re so wet... And you’re not even in heat.” He slowly started to piston his finger in and out, working Yuuri’s hole loose enough to add another.

Yuuri tossed his head back, breath coming out in short, uneven pants. “ _ Ah,  _ Vitya, more…!”

“Even so…” Victor murmured, granting Yuuri’s wish by adding a third finger to stretch his hole, “I love that I do this to you. Knowing that as much as you affect me, I do the same to you. Right, darling?”

He spread his fingers, opening Yuuri wide, and the Omega nearly sobbed. A fresh wave of slick gushed out, coating Victor’s hand.

“ _ Yes,  _ Vitya, now please…!”

Without another word, Victor pulled out his fingers, watching for a moment as Yuuri’s hole quivered and  leaked at the loss and his cock spurted a bit of precum onto his stomach. Combined with Yuuri’s wanton expression, and the stark contrast of the stockings on his legs… He was a vision if ever Victor saw one.

His hand patted the bed, searching frantically for the bottle of lube, unaided by the fact that he couldn’t tear his eyes away from the writhing mess of an Omega beneath him. Finally, his fingers found purchase on the bottle, and he poured a generous amount onto his own aching cock before discarding it again. Bracing himself with one hand on Yuuri’s thigh, Victor used his other to line up his cock with the Omega’s hole, and he slowly began to push in.

“Oh god,” moaned Yuuri, his hands flying to grip the headboard behind him. His chest was heaving as he breathed in and out, a scarlet flush coloring his cheeks and upper body.

With a grin, Victor pushed all the way inside. He bit back a groan as his cock was sheathed in a tight, wet, familiar heat.

“Oh, Yuuri _ ,”  _ he grunted, “you feel so good…”

“Alpha,” the younger man panted, grinding his ass against Victor’s groin, desperate for more. “Alpha, Vitya, please, more…”

A primal growl surged through Victor - not one for patience, he pulled his hips back and slammed back in, driving Yuuri further up the bed as he shouted in ecstasy. Victor started a steady rhythm, leaning back to watch his cock, glistening with lube and slick, pump in and out of his lover’s accommodating body, Yuuri’s rim stretched tight around his girth. 

“I missed you so much…” he found himself murmuring, hands grasping Yuuri’s waist. “My darling Omega,  _ zvezda moya…” _

“Vitya,” Yuuri gasped, just before he released the headboard and surged up, throwing his arms around Victor’s neck and tugging him down to have their lips meet. Victor groaned into the kiss, slowing his pace to kiss his Omega more thoroughly. He rolled his hips into Yuuri, the head of his cock nudging Yuuri’s prostate, and in response Yuuri sobbed into his mouth, locked his legs around the Alpha’s waist, and pressed them even closer together. 

There was scarcely any space between them now - Yuuri’s cock was trapped between their bodies, and the friction caused by Victor’s thrusts was slowly but surely driving the Omega mad.

“V-Vitya, I’m close,” he moaned.

“Me too,” Victor groaned back. He picked up his pace again, pounding roughly into his Omega’s pliant body. “Come for me,  _ zvyozdochka…” _

With a strangled cry, Yuuri did just that; he arched into Victor and came, his cock spilling between them, coating their chests. Victor bit his lip at the sight of Yuuri - eyes rolled to the back of his head, cheeks flushed, body glistening with sweat - and it wasn’t long before he came, too, releasing into Yuuri’s body with a shuddering groan.

Victor collapsed on top of Yuuri, though the younger man didn’t complain. They lied together for several minutes, each fighting to catch their breath. Finally, Yuuri grunted, and pushed lightly at Victor’s shoulders.

“You’re heavy, Vitya,” he complained, though there was a soft smile on his lips. 

Victor hummed. “Too tired to move. I’m just going to sleep like this, okay?”

Yuuri rolled his eyes and shoved again, this time harder, causing Victor to roll off of him with a small ‘oof’. Yuuri sat up, and examined the state of his body - he was covered with his own come, not to mention that fact that Victor’s was currently leaking out of him, but to his relief, none of it had gotten on the bralette or the stockings.

“I’m going to change,” he announced, already pulling the bralette over his head. He felt Victor’s hands on his thighs, and smiled as his Alpha hooked a finger on the edge of either stocking and pulled them down his legs.

“Mm, I might have to tell Chris to cancel the lingerie line.”

“What?” Yuuri blinked. “Why? Don’t you like it?”

“Oh, I love it,” answered Victor. He collected the stockings and folded them neatly, before doing the same to the bralette, which Yuuri handed him. “But I won’t be able to look at any of his designs without imagining  _ you  _ in them first. I can’t be getting aroused at work, dear.”

“Oh, please,” Yuuri rolled his eyes. “Like you haven’t already.”

Victor winked at him. Then the Alpha was off the bed, placing the lingerie on a nearby table, and moving to the bathroom. He came back with a damp cloth, which he used to wipe himself and his husband clean. With that task done, he came back to the bed, where Yuuri had already gone under the sheets, and slid into his Omega’s welcoming arms.

“I was thinking,” Victor said quietly, laying his head against Yuuri’s chest. His heartbeat was a soothing sound. “Tomorrow, we should visit your parents. Maybe Mari and her husband, too, if they’re not busy.”

“Of course,” Yuuri said. “Kei and Kyouko have been missing their Uncle Vitya.”

Victor smiled. “I missed them, too.”

He found Yuuri’s right hand and raised it to his lips, kissing the golden ring he’d given to him years ago. Yuuri gazed fondly at him.

“Goodnight, Yuuri,” Victor yawned, after a moment. “I love you…”

Yuuri chuckled under his breath as the Alpha dropped into sleep right away. He brushed a few strands of silver out of Victor’s face and pressed a kiss to his temple.

“Goodnight, my Vitya. I love you, too.”

 

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so first of all: thank you guys so much! I wasn't expecting this fic to get as popular as it did, but it was a delight reading all your comments! I'm only sorry I don't really reply to them, but trust me, they were super appreciated!
> 
> I'm honestly kind of sad that it's over, but I'm happy with it. I already have another story planned - a high school AU with JJ and Yuuri as besties aayyyy - so expect that at some point lmao
> 
> Thank you all again for your comments, kudoses, bookmarks, etc.! I hope this ending was satisfactory! :)

**Author's Note:**

> Translations: zvezda moya - my star
> 
> you can scream about the Ice Gays with me over at my tumblr: persephoneggsy.tumblr.com


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